A Hogwarts Nytdmare
by Nytd
Summary: Sequel to A Witch, A Wolf, and A Serpent. The Mistress of the Healing Arts must return to Hogwarts sooner than she'd planned, and now has to face Lupin and Snape. Part Two of the Wandless Magic Trilogy.
1. Default Chapter

**A Hogwarts Nytdmare  
**

Disclaimer: Most characters in this story are the wonderful creations of J K Rowling, and I intend no infringement whatsoever by borrowing them for this little adventure. I am not making any money from this endeavor, and am merely having a little more fun.

That said, I hope you do too.

**A/N**: This is the continuing tale of wandless magic and romance at Hogwarts.

Harry is learning more wandless magic, Ron is his ever faithful friend, and Hermione is as brilliant as ever. The Weasley twins get into trouble, Sirius Black throws a party, and Ariel Sinistra is back causing much mayhem. Draco Malfoy gets thrown into the picture, Perth Taber and the Moody clan return, and I believe there'll be a wizard's duel - Nemorosi style. There's always plenty of wolfsbane potion being brewed, and of course, returning for adventure, romance, and maybe even a touch of angst here and there, are Remus, Severus, and Lorien.

Now, if you're sitting there wondering what all of this is about, go read 'A Witch, A Wolf, and A Serpent' first. If you're where I left you in the snow, welcome to the Nytdmare. Read on....

Transition ~*~

Albus Dumbledore had another staffing problem at Hogwarts.

Since Hagrid had been away intermittently during the fall term and would likely be gone at times in the Spring, Dumbledore thought it would be best to hire an additional teacher to cover Care of Magical Creatures. Even when Hagrid returned to his full duties the headmaster though it still might be wise to have someone available to teach the upper level classes. It would probably just be safer that way.

The headmaster had a lot on his mind, but along with looking into ways to step up Hogwarts security, finding the new teacher was high on his priority list over the end of the fall term. The interviews he set up over the holiday break, and he found himself meeting with three candidates for the position. It was the third applicant that caught his attention when he met with her just before the new year.

Marlina Perkins tried to get her son to hurry just a little bit as he lagged behind, gazing up at the enormous castle before them, but it was difficult to get the six year old Noah's attention.

"Come on, love. We're going to be late." She was trying to be patient with him since she knew he was captivated by the sight of the legendary wizarding school.

"Can we really go inside?" Noah's eyes were bright, and she could hear the excitement in his voice.

"Yes, love. That's where we're going right now," the red haired woman said.

Marlina was finally able to make it inside the door and she could see the stern looking witch there did not look happy to be kept waiting. " Miss Perkins...." the woman began, but stopped as Marlina called back over her shoulder.

"Noah. Here with me please." The little boy ran to stand next to his mother. Marlina saw the older woman's expression soften as she understood why the younger one was running behind.

"Nice to see you, Marlina." The Deputy Headmistress offered the woman her hand with a knowing smile.

Marlina took the other witch's hand. "So nice to see you, Professor. I apologize for being late."

"No need." McGonagall looked at the small boy again and smiled. "Mr. Perkins, do you plan to come to Hogwarts when you're old enough?"

The small boy nodded. "I'm going to teach here," he said confidently.

His mother shared a smile with the older witch who spoke softly. "I believe the headmaster is waiting."

Marlina nodded and she and Noah followed McGonagall.

The Headmaster smiled as he saw the small boy march into the room along with his mother, and was even more amused when the young lad proceeded to introduce himself.

"I'm Noah Perkins." The auburn haired boy stuck out his hand.

"Hello, Noah. I'm Albus Dumbledore. Is this your mother?" The headmaster looked toward the woman accompanying the boy.

"Yup. Marlina Perkins," the boy replied cheerfully.

"Nice to see you again Marlina." The blue eyes twinkled.

"And you, Professor Dumbledore." She sat in the chair next to her son.

"Well, I can see by your resume that you've been quite busy since you left Hogwarts, Marlina. Quite a bit of traveling you've done, work at the Wyandotte Zoo, internship with Theseus Pepperidge....do you know Charlie Weasley?"

"Just of him. He went to work with Pepperidge quite a bit after my time," Marlina replied.

"I see. Well, I should say I'm thoroughly....." The white haired wizard hesitated for just a moment as the large striking red bird landed on the lap of the woman with hair the same color and gazed at her with a bright eye.

Dumbledore smiled as he saw the bird's response to the woman, and then the boy's response to the phoenix as Noah's eyes became quite large.

"Go ahead, Noah. You can touch him." He turned back to Marlina while Noah was busy stroking the flame-colored feathers. "It appears that Fawkes is just as impressed with your qualifications. May I ask you one question?"

"Of course," she answered.

"If you take this position, what do you think should be the most important thing taught in the class?" Dumbledore asked.

Marlina didn't even hesitate. "Safety. You've go to be careful when you're around some of these creatures and it's most important that no one is ever hurt, preferably even the animals."

Dumbledore smiled. "The job is yours. Can you start right at the beginning of the term?"

Marlina smiled back. "I'll can be here the second week."

"Fine," the headmaster said, and then turned to the small boy. "Well, what do you think, Noah? Ok if your mother comes to work here?"

"Yes. Mom, can we have a phoenix?" Noah asked.

The headmaster laughed along with the new Care of Magical Creatures professor.

Harry Potter was not going back to the Dursleys for Christmas holiday. He never did, but what was different about this year was that he was not staying at Hogwarts either. He was going to be staying with his godfather, Sirius Black.

A lot had happened in the past month and a half, and Sirius had filled Harry in on much of it. He of course, had filled in Ron and Hermione.

It had started in October when the three of them had notice that Snape, Lupin, and Desjardins were all absent at the Halloween feast. Thinking it odd that this particular trio was missing, they decided to go to Lupin's rooms and ask Sirius if he knew anything. Sirius was missing as well.

The top stories of Saturday's Daily Prophet gave them much of the information they needed.. The Ministry of Magic had been attacked by Death Eaters the night before, but their attempts to kidnap Cornelius Fudge had been thwarted by a small band of aurors and several Hogwarts staff. The next story was almost as big as the first. Sirius Black had received a full pardon after it was discovered that Peter Pettigrew was indeed alive.

Sunday showed no sign of Desjardins, Snape, Lupin, or Black. The Sunday Prophet launched into stories about the Death Eaters that had been captured, (no names had been released other than Pettigrew's yet) and the ministry workers and others that had been injured in the attack. Lorien's name was listed.

"Did you read this?" Harry said to Ron. "Lorien's in the hospital. That explains why Remus isn't back yet."

"He must be with her," commented Hermione. "I hope she's going to be alright."

"Can you believe all of this?" It was Ron's turn. "I can't believe that Sirius is free. Isn't it great, Harry?"

"Yeah. You have no idea how happy I am for him." Harry was happy for himself, as well. He was already planning on moving out of 4 Privet Drive.

Sirius was the one that arrived that afternoon to fill the headmaster in on what exactly had happened. It was a grand moment for him as he walked through the door in broad daylight wearing black robes instead of black fur.

Dumbledore sat listening attentively for a long while as Sirius related the parts he knew of what had happened.

"And Lorien? How is she?" asked the concerned older wizard.

"She's going to be fine. Remus is still at the hospital with her," Black replied.

"And Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yeah, him too." Black looked less than pleased. "They'll both be in tomorrow for classes.

"Good. As for you, Sirius, I believe some congratulations are in order." The headmaster's blue eyes twinkled.

"Yeah, well it's been a long time coming. Sometimes I didn't know if it would ever truly happen."

Snape reported in next to the headmaster, and the older wizard now had the missing pieces to Black's story.

Dumbledore spoke seriously. "So, your old friend Lucius is going to prison?"

"Yes," replied Snape.

"And Lorien? She's doing better?"

"Yes. She's much improved." He saw the look the headmaster was giving him. "Lupin and I have been staying with her in shifts."

"I see. Well, it turns out you were right about things, Severus," the older wizard admitted.

"I would have rather been wrong," Snape said somberly.

"I agree." Dumbledore became very serious, and Snape knew what the man was going to bring up next. "Severus, about Ian Fincastle....."

Snape didn't let him finish. "I had no choice, Albus. I had only a second or two to act. It was him or me."

The headmaster nodded. "I'm glad it wasn't you, my friend." He wasn't pleased about Snape's use of the Unforgivable Curse, but he understood desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Try to get some rest, Severus," the white haired wizard said as he left.

Sirius had told Harry a great deal about what happened at the Ministry one night when he was visiting Sirius in Lupin's rooms. He spoke of how they had found Wormtail and met up with the Moody clan.

"And Harry," said Sirius, "Moony here was responsible for two of the Death Eater that were captured. Tell us about it, Professor."

"I've already told you," protested Lupin modestly.

"Yeah, but Harry hasn't heard. Tell us again," Sirius insisted.

Lupin gave in and told how he had fought off Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry found that the Defense professor had earned an even greater degree of his respect after the story.

It had by now become apparent to Harry, Ron and Hermione that something had changed between Remus and Lorien. They never met her in Lupin's rooms anymore, and they rarely saw the two speaking together. It bothered them all, and Hermione convinced Harry and Ron that they should ask Sirius about it when Lupin wasn't around.

Harry came back to the common room one night looking serious. He had been talking to his godfather, and didn't like the answers Sirius gave him to the questions he'd asked. He flopped into a chair near Ron and Hermione. "Bad news."

"What is it Harry?" Hermione looked worried.

"I found out about Remus and Lorien," Harry replied.

"Did they break up?" asked Ron.

"Not exactly, but that would have been easier to deal with I think," Harry said, staring at the floor in front of him.

"What are you getting at, Harry?" Ron inquired.

Harry looked up. "Lorien likes Snape, too."

"No!" Ron was horrified. "Snape? Is she mad?"

Hermione sat quietly listening to her two friends.

"I don't know, but I guess he likes her as well....." Harry started.

Ron interrupted. "You really needed to tell us this?" He looked pale.

"She can't be with both of them," Hermione said quietly.

"Exactly. That's what's happening. She's not spending time with Remus because she's trying to decide which one she wants to be with," explained Harry.

Ron appeared visibly upset. "What's there to decide? Remus is good. Snape is evil. All she has to do is pick Remus. That's what makes sense."

Harry had to admit that Ron had a pretty good argument.

"It's not that simple, Ron," Hermione spoke up.

"What? Of course it is. Black and White." Ron was adamant.

"Snape isn't evil, Ron. He might be irritable and even mean a lot, but that doesn't make him evil," Hermione argued.

Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing as Hermione continued. "Lorien seems like a pretty smart witch. I'm sure she knows things about Snape that we don't. Remember, she doesn't deal with him in class."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ron asked crossly.

"He's different around her. Outside of class," she replied knowingly.

"You're taking Snape's side?" asked Harry.

"No." Hermione shook her head. "I'm just pointing out that Snape isn't always the way you two see him. I saw it the night Neville and I watched him make the wolfsbane potion. I know that he didn't want us there, but he gave in because Lorien asked him. He was a little different when I talked to him in the library too."

"You talked to Snape in the library?" Both boys were surprised.

Hermione related the incident with the article she had gone in search of on lycanthropy.

"I still can't believe that she can like Snape as much as Remus." Ron was being stubborn.

"It is hard to imagine, Hermione," added Harry.

Hermione was getting upset. "I'm sure Lorien is trying to do the right thing."

Ron wouldn't let it go. "Which is to pick Remus."

Hermione had enough. "You think it's easy for her? You think she's wrong for caring equally about two men? Is that a bad thing, to care about the important people in your life? You two don't know anything! You know what?" she asked angrily, slamming a book down and leaping to her feet.

"What?" asked Harry.

"Lorien does have it easy in one way, at least Snape and Lupin aren't best friends! At least she doesn't have to decide on neither!"

She stormed out of the room.

Harry and Ron stared after her and then at each other.

"Did you know?" Harry asked Ron.

Ron shook his head. "Did you?"

"No. Not a clue," said Harry. "I think we're going to owe her an apology."

Hermione ran to her bed and flung herself onto it in tears. She'd never meant to tell them. She never wanted either one to know. There was a point she cared about Ron so much, but then found herself feeling something else for Harry as well. She'd seen to it then that she never encouraged anything more than friendship between herself and the two boys. It was the only thing that made sense if the three of them were to remain friends. With a little time her feelings for them each had settled back into the realm of friendship, but hearing them judging the Nemorosi witch had dug it all back up.

"Men can be so dense," she said to Crookshanks, as the big ginger cat climbed up next to her and began to purr.

Nothing more was really ever said about Hermione's revelation, but her two male friends did apologized for being close minded and insensitive. That was good enough for her, and things soon resumed as normal.

The rest of the term passed fairly uneventfully, and the holiday break was almost here.

Sirius told Harry he needed to talk to him one night. "I need to know something, Harry," Sirius said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Do you still want to live with me?" Sirius sounded just a little uncertain.

"Are you serious?" Harry asked incredulously.

Sirius watched Harry carefully. "Yes."

"Of course! I can't believe you'd even need to ask!" Harry was beside himself with delight.

"You'll spend Christmas with me then?" Sirius finally smiled at the excited teenager.

'Yes! Hey where will we be staying?" Harry asked.

"I've found a place outside Hogsmeade. That way you won't be far from school."

Harry knew that Sirius really meant Dumbledore and the protection that being at school lent him, but he didn't say anything.

The day after Harry had finished his final exams, he went to meet Sirius in Lupin's rooms so they could leave together for Hogsmeade.

They gathered up the things that Harry was bringing with him and headed for the door.

Sirius looked back at Remus, who was staring out the window. "You're sure you don't want to come with us?" he asked Lupin.

Remus continued to look out the window. "I'll be there later."

"Ok, Moony. See you in a while," Sirius replied quietly. He led Harry out of the room.

"What's wrong? Why doesn't he come with us now?" Harry asked.

"She's leaving today. He wants to be there if she comes to say goodbye."

~*~*~*~*~

Lorien had arrived at one of the places she loved best in the whole world, when she walked to the gate that led to the small house belonging to Perth Taber. She quickly stepped through and went to the door to knock.

He opened the door just before her hand made contact. "I knew you'd be here today." The older man smiled. "Come in out of the snow, Sylvanesti."

Lorien embraced her friend and mentor after she set her bag down in the hallway.

"How about some tea?" the wizard with steel gray hair asked as he started to walk to the neat little kitchen.

"That sounds wonderful." Lorien smiled at him.

"So, you're out of a job?" Taber asked as he passed a hand over the kettle, causing it to whistle.

"Temporarily," she informed him.

He looked at her questioningly.

"I've been asked to return, but I probably won't start again until fall term. The headmaster has also asked me to teach, Perth," said Lorien.

"Teach? What?" he asked, wondering what subject the other healer would be instructing.

She played coy. "Oh you know...stuff."

His eyes narrowed.

"He wants me to work with some of the students that have an interest in developing their skills with wandless magic. I've actually already been working with Harry Potter."

Taber smiled warmly. "This is good news. And your medical responsibilities? You'll keep those as well?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Excellent. But tell me, why did you leave if they feel they need you?" Taber asked in a concerned way.

Lorien looked a little sheepish. "Another conflict, Sylvani," she sighed.

"Another?" The older man looked slightly amused.

"Yes, I need a little time to work it out," she admitted, a little embarrassed.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked.

"Later," she said softly. "First I want to show you how I resolved the first one."

Taber looked surprised and then very interested. "Shall we go to the garden?"

"Yes," said Lorien.

Lorien followed Taber to the back of the house to the door that led outside. It had been a while since she had been in his wondrous garden.

When the two of them stepped outside it was as if the months had melted away and spring had arrived behind the quaint house. Powerful magic was at work in Taber's yard, and the garden was a small blooming Eden all year long.

"It's been so long since I've been here." Lorien always like the garden best in winter when it snowed like today. It was lovely to see the snow falling as a backdrop for all of the flowers that were in bloom.

"Now, Lorien, are you going to show me, or are we just going to admire the daisies?" Taber was scolding her gently, but it was because he was anxious to see her accomplishment. He knew already that she had chosen to complete the transformation.

"Ok. Step back a bit," she instructed.

He raised an eyebrow, but did as she told him.

Lorien took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, and then Taber was no longer looking at the blonde witch.

His eyes went wide as he saw the blue-green scales and wings. "Unreal. That's quite an accomplishment, Lorien." He spoke like a proud father would have. He walked up to her and ran his hand over the smooth scales of her shoulder and then touched a leathery wing. "You did that quickly," he observed.

The golden eyes gazed at him and then they were blue again. "I've had a lot of practice lately." She thought of the night on the roof.

"Have you mastered flying yet?" he asked her curiously.

"Not yet." She thought of her spectacular collision with the ground that left her in the hospital for a few days, and she found herself laughing.

"What?" he asked.

"It's a long story," she said as she laughed.

"Well, it sounds like you're going to have plenty of time to tell me," said Taber.

The Christmas holiday was the best one Harry could remember. There were presents from Ron and Hermione, and Sirius and Remus, and the best part was he opened them all at the house he was going to live in when school was out.

Lupin had spent quite a bit of time at the house, since he had a lot of free time between terms. And of course because Lorien was not around.

The three of them had walked into town one morning to have breakfast together, and they were on their way back to the outskirts of town. Sirius was in a good mood and was determined to cheer up the somewhat melancholy werewolf. Harry noticed that as they approached the house he lagged behind a short way.

Remus started up the walk first, but only made it about halfway when a snowball hit him in the back of the head. He whirled around to face Black as Harry stifled a snicker. "What do you think you're...."

Another snowball hit him in the face. Lupin stood there for a minute sputtering, wiping snow off himself and then he noticed Harry laughing.

"So that's funny, huh?" He eyed the young Gryffindor.

"Yes." Harry still giggled until the next snowball hit him in the side of the head.

Lupin chuckled and pointed at Harry as he cleaned snow out of his ear. "I'd say that's just as funny."

Sirius hit him with another snowball in the back and he shared a look with Harry before the two of them ran at Sirius and tackled him in the snow. Remus pinned him down as Harry whitewashed his face until he was laughing too hard to even beg for mercy.

Finally they let him up as the three of them sat there in the snow, still amused.

"Ok. I'm going in for hot chocolate," Harry announced and got up.

"We'll be right in, Harry." Sirius watched his godson go inside, and then Remus helped him to his feet.

"It's eerie sometimes, you know, Moony?" Sirius looked in the direction that Harry had gone.

Lupin nodded, knowing exactly what Black meant. Both men found that the younger Potter was growing to look more like his father all the time.

Remus spoke after a moment "Padfoot?"

"Yes, Moony?"

"Thanks for making me laugh. It's been a while since I've felt like it," Remus said.

"You're welcome." Sirius was happy to see his friend smiling.

A/N: About Hagrid - I don't write him well, (kudos to those that do) and I find that he's more interesting interacting with the kids than the adults, and so since this story focuses more on the adults, I usually leave him out. He's around though, trust me.

About Hermione and H & R. Don't ask. I don't know. I was writing the scene when all of a sudden she got up and started yelling at them and spilling her guts. Any of you that have written fanfiction understand what happens when a character just takes over from time to time.( And who is more likely to speak her mind than Hermione?) I kinda liked the way it played out so I left it, but it really has little impact on the rest of the story. *author shrugs and smiles*

And about Marlina Perkins, if you know where her name comes from than you're probably an OLD witch (or wizard) like me.


	2. Reflections on the Fall

**A/N:** Wecome to the Nytdmare one and all. Glad to see new names and very happy to see the loyal regulars! Hope this story goes off as well as the last one. I can tell you that from what I have written, what I have outlined, and what I need to write, that this story is definitely going to be longer.

The first few chapters set up what's happened since Christmas holiday, Lorien's return to Hogwarts, and tell us more about Marlie Perkins. For all you witches and wizards that aren't as old as Remus and Severus, the new professor is named after the host of the OLD nature series 'Wild Kingdom' - Marlin Perkins. It used to air just prior to the Wonderful World of Disney, on Sunday nights when I was very young. (Now I've really dated myself. :P)

Things pick up a bit after that when we hear distant rumblings from Voldemort, Lorien agonizes over her decision, and Sirius and Draco both make plans for a party. "Sirius and Draco?" you ask? Just wait, you'll see. :D

Reflections on the Fall ~*~

Lorien had stayed at the quaint house with the charmed garden for a few days before she felt ready to tell Perth everything that had happened to her. She found him sitting on the bench in his garden one morning and she went to join him.

"Ben ilyan." He spoke and looked up from a book as she sat down.

"Good morning." She was quiet and he knew that she had something to say.

"So what is it?" he asked gently.

"A lot's happened since I saw you last," she said quietly as she looked around the garden.

"I bet. I do read the paper, you know," the older man teased her.

"The Death Eater attack was awful, Perth," Lorien told him, thinking back to Halloween again.

"I can imagine," he said sympathetically.

She told him about the night at the ministry and how it had ended on the roof in the confrontation with Ian Fincastle.

"Fincastle was always a bad egg. I never trusted him from the moment I met him. Ah, but that's a whole other story. Continue, please." Taber looked at her expectantly.

"Well, anyway, Fudge was safe, the Death Eaters were gone, and five of them are in Azkaban," finished Lorien.

"Thanks to the aurors and your friends," he added.

"Yes," she replied.

"You think a lot of your friends, it shows when you speak of them," Taber observed.

"Yes, all three of them. It's just that's where my problem lies," she replied.

"One of them is more than a friend? I suspected as much last time we met," Taber said.

She answered quietly. "Two of them."

"Oh." He spoke kindly. "Tell me about them, Lorien."

She told him about how the two relationships had come about, and how things had been left with both back at Hogwarts.

"I see. It sounds as if Remus cares about you very much," Taber observed.

"He does." Lorien nodded.

Perth continued. "I would caution you about getting close to a man like Severus if..."

"But you don't know him like I do," Lorien began to protest.

Taber frowned a little. "Let me finish. I was about to say that I would caution you about Severus if you hadn't already told me about his actions on Halloween. Indeed, he sounds like a complicated person, but I think it's obvious from what you've told me that he cares about you as well."

"I know he does," she said.

"I'm not helping much, am I?" Taber smiled at her.

"No." She pouted momentarily and then laughed.

Taber pondered things for a minute, and then spoke to Lorien again. "Tell me what you like best about each."

Alright, that was easy enough, Lorien thought. "Remus can make me laugh almost no matter what." She paused for a moment. "Severus has a fascinating mind."

"What do you dislike most?" Taber queried.

"Lupin tends to be over protective and maybe a little chauvinistic." She frowned slightly.

"Gryffindors look at it as being chivalrous," Taber commented. "And Snape?"

"He's difficult," she admitted.

"I realize that, but surely there must be something you dislike most?" Taber asked.

"No. I mean he's _difficult_. About everything. He's difficult to get to know, difficult to deal with, difficult to get close to," Lorien explained.

"And you like this man?" Taber asked as he laughed a little.

"Yes," she replied sheepishly.

"Tell me one last thing. How do you feel when you're with Remus?" he asked. She started to answer but he cut her off. "One word," he told her.

She thought about it for a minute. How did she feel, and how would she sum it up in one word? "Safe," she replied finally.

"And Severus?" he asked.

She hesitated for a minute. "Definitely not safe." She found herself thinking out loud and she frowned at the answer she had given before she had really decided on what she wanted to say.

"Not safe? That's two words." Taber smiled. " 'Not safe' covers a lot of ground, Lorien."

"I'm sorry. It was the first thing that came to mind," she said.

Taber smiled warmly at the younger woman. "I'm afraid I haven't got the answer for you Lorien. You're the only one who has that answer."

"I knew you were going to say that," she replied.

Taber tried to reassure her. "The answer will come to you in time."

"You sound like Dumbledore," said Lorien.

"And Dumbledore is a very wise man, isn't he?" Taber chuckled.

On the first day of classes, Harry couldn't believe the term had started again already. The holiday break had flown by, as had last term, and he found himself thinking about the fact that every term brought with it strange events. Sometimes wonderful, sometimes dangerous, but always strange and amazing.

Last term had been no exception and Harry thought about three of the things it never seemed possible would happen. A woman had actually taken a liking to Professor Snape, Sirius Black had been given a full pardon and was a free man, and Neville Longbottom, other than the first day of classes had made it through the entire fall without anything exploding. He actually passed potions with slightly more than the lowest required marks.

Before the first potions class of the new year for the Gryffindors and the Slytherins, there was a lot of anxiety. The potion that they would be working on today called for the use of dragon's bile, which if not used with extreme caution had an explosive potential.

Snape himself was wishing he was someplace else as he walked down the hallway to the classroom. He slammed the door open when he entered the class and shot Granger a look. He was in no mood to deal with another melted cauldron today.

Hermione saw the meaningful glare the professor had given her and scrambled to move closer to Neville. The Potions master had long since given up on keeping her from helping the timid boy, and she knew he definitely wanted her supervising today. It wasn't that Snape was being nice, it was more a matter of self preservation.

"I hope you all have carefully read the instructions for today," Snape began, eyes going from one table to the next. "I want you focused on what you are doing, and I expect everyone to exercise the utmost caution."

Snape's intense gaze came to rest on the Gryffindors at the back of the room. "Let me give all of you fair warning now. I will not tolerate any distractions, and the first person I find not paying attention to what they are doing will lose their house twenty points. Have I made things clear?"

A murmur of acknowledgment rippled across the room, and the students began to work on the day's potion. Snape paced between the tables with his hands clasped behind his back supervising and offering biting comments as needed. His gaze went to Longbottom and Granger's table at regular intervals.

Neville and Hermione had managed to get most of the way through the potion formula and she watched nervously as he added the next few ingredients. The potion remained the right color. The next component was three drops of dragon's bile and Hermione automatically reached for the small bottle herself. She was surprised when Neville's hand got to it at the same time and she looked at him.

"I'll do it," he said quietly, but he looked her in the eye. She was surprised that he would voluntarily even touch dragon's bile, but there was no mistaking that he meant to complete the potion himself.

"You're sure?" she asked.

He nodded and she pulled her hand away. "Ok. Three drops. That's it and we're done."

Most of the Gryffindors nearby began to look very concerned as they realized that Hermione was letting go of the small vial. Harry and Ron began to look at each other with trepidation.

Neville knew they were looking at him, but he knew he could do this. All he had to do was focus, keep his hand steady, and add three drops.

"Do it, Neville," Hermione encouraged him and he willed his hand not to shake as much as usual. He could see out of the corners of his eyes that Snape was not at any of the nearby tables, and he raised his hand over the cauldron. If he ever knew that the Potions Master was standing directly behind him, he probably would have fainted dead away.

Neville added precisely three drops, and set the vial down as the potion became the required murky green. He sighed a deep sigh of relief as Hermione beamed.

"You did it!" she whispered.

Neville turned excitedly to point out the color of the potion he had just completed to Harry and Ron, but his gaze met an obstacle of black robes. His eyes traveled slowly up to meet the intense scrutiny of the professor standing silently behind him.

Snape stared the timid teenager in the eye for a long moment and then to Neville's complete surprise gave a barely perceptible nod and walked away. And then class was over.

Everyone finished cleaning up, picked up their things and began leaving, and Neville ran to catch up with his classmates to share his excitement.

Snape watched to make sure that every vial of dragon's bile was safely stored away and then his eyes swept the classroom to make sure it had been properly picked up. He saw that Granger had stopped as she picked up the last of her books and was regarding him with a thoughtful expression. When his gaze met hers she gave him a small smile and turned and left the classroom.

Snape's eyes narrowed for a brief moment and then it occurred to him that she had just expressed her approval of his acknowledgment of Longbottom's small accomplishment. He found himself annoyed, and then amused that the young woman took it upon herself to do so. As if _he_ needed approval from one of his students, especially a Gryffindor witch.

Yet, it puzzled him that he was glad she approved, and it took him a while to figure out why. She had come with Longbottom when Lorien had brought them to the dungeon, and Neville had obviously taken something away with him from that night. Granger approved of the fact that he had given even the slightest acknowledgment, and it pleased him because he knew that Lorien would have approved too.

"Damn it!" he swore aloud to himself as he caught himself thinking of her again. He had promised himself he wouldn't dwell on the Nemorosi witch after she left and had failed miserably keeping that promise over the past month. He didn't like the fact that even absent, she was constantly on his mind. He didn't like it, but he couldn't help it. Which also irritated him.

Sirius Black was on his way to see Albus Dumbledore in response to an owl he'd received from the Hogwarts headmaster. He had no idea what the older man wanted, and he was curious as to what this would be about as he climbed the stairs to the headmaster's office.

The older man greeted him as he walked through the door. "Sirius, how are you? Please, sit down." He indicated the usual chair.

"I'm fine, and you?" Sirius asked in return.

"Fine, fine," Dumbledore replied. "How do you like your new arrangements in Hogsmeade?"

"I love it," said Sirius.

"As does Harry, I suspect," the headmaster said with eyes a-twinkle.

Black smiled and nodded. "I think he's actually looking forward to summer break this year."

"Good. Have you spoken to Remus lately?" Dumbledore asked, continuing to make small talk.

"Yes," Sirius replied.

"How is he doing? I haven't really wanted to come out and ask him," the headmaster admitted.

"Fine. Better, but he misses her," Sirius replied softly.

The headmaster nodded, understanding exactly what Sirius was saying.

"You didn't really ask me over to talk about Remus, though, did you?" asked Sirius.

"No." Dumbledore smiled. "I have a problem, and I think maybe you can help me."

"I'll be happy to if I can. What is it, Albus?" Sirius asked.

"I'm sure that I don't have to tell you about the concerns I have over the increasing presence of the Death Eaters," Dumbledore said.

"We're all concerned," said Sirius.

Dumbledore sighed. "I also wish that the papers weren't so quick to point out that five of them are in prison thanks in part to Hogwarts staff."

"You worry about retaliation?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, and you know I worry about Harry. I worry about all the students' safety," Dumbledore replied.

Black nodded in agreement, and then gave the headmaster a questioning look. "What does that have to do with me?"

Dumbledore looked very serious. "I think it's time we stepped up security around here. I don't want the staff or students to feel like they're in a prison, but I want all the measures taken to protect the school evaluated and reinforced where needed. I need to know where our weaknesses are."

Sirius still looked confused.

Dumbledore smiled. "I want to put you in charge of Hogwarts security, Sirius."

"Me?" Sirius asked, looking quite surprised. "What do I know about security measures?"

"You know how to get around a good deal of them," Dumbledore replied slyly.

Sirius smiled.

"Besides, I need someone that I can place the utmost trust in. Someone I can absolutely rely on. I believe that's you," said Dumbledore.

"I'd be happy to do it," Sirius replied.

"Good. Excellent. Oh, and of course it would be a paid position as well, Sirius. You'll be on the staff payroll," Dumbledore informed him.

The headmaster had just solved a problem for the newly freed fugitive as well.

As head of Slytherin House, Severus Snape now faced another problem since the night of the attack on the Ministry of Magic. It was a complicated issue and Snape was at a loss as to how to best deal with it. Part of him wanted to ignore it and tell himself it just didn't matter, but a deeper part of him knew that sooner or later it was going to become even greater trouble if he didn't find a way to address it. His problem was with Malfoy. Not Lucius, but Draco Malfoy.

He had known the bright boy all his life and he knew that Draco had always looked up to him and respected the friend of his father that appeared to be a model Slytherin of purest blood. That had all changed the night he sent Lucius Malfoy to Azkaban.

For a week after Halloween, Draco had been kept at home by his mother, Narcissa, until she decided what to do. She wanted to transfer him immediately to Durmstrang, but something kept her from doing so and it had taken her a short while to figure it out. She wanted Draco at Hogwarts for two reasons, actually. First because she wanted her son educated at the finest of the wizarding schools, and second because she now realized the importance of having a connection on the inside. She wanted Draco there since he might play a crucial role if the opportunity ever presented itself for revenge.

Draco himself had at first not believed the reports he'd heard. He felt numb and confused and it took him a long time to realize the man he had always admired had betrayed his father. It didn't take him long to make up his mind about how he felt once that realization set in, and a seething hatred was rapidly developing in his heart for the head of his house at school.

For weeks after Halloween, Snape would find Malfoy staring back at him in class, in the hallway and in the Slytherin common room if he needed to venture there. He always met the boy's eyes steadily, but without malice. He knew Draco felt betrayed, and he understood why. The younger Crabbe and Goyle were silently hostile as well, but they were of no concern to him.

This term looked as if things were going to be worse, and Snape knew that it would not be long before things came to a breaking point. No one understood the way the boy's housemates feared him, the way the Gryffindors ridiculed him better than Snape. No one would understand what it was like to have so much hate bottled up inside at that age either. Snape had been there himself, and he wanted to spare Draco the same fate that he seemed inevitably destined for. He only wished he knew how.


	3. Consequences of the Fall

**A/N :** Just a quick thanks to everyone that's already jumped in and offered their reviews. I have the best time reading them. It's fun to see people speculate, and the flag waving is an absolute riot.

All of your comments always make writing this story even more fun!

Consequences of the Fall ~*~

As the first full moon of the new year approached, Remus was in worse shape than usual. It was bad enough that he had been upset over Lorien's departure, but now the migraines that plagued him were returning, and he didn't have her here to help him deal with them.

It wasn't that Poppy didn't try, but none of the headache remedies that she gave him could eliminate the pain the way the Nemorosi witch had been able to.

One good thing that had happened was that it was now standard operating procedure for Snape to prepare the wolfsbane potion, bottle it for the week before the full moon and send it to the infirmary for Madame Pomfrey to dispense. Remus was thankful that he didn't have to deal with Snape, and he was sure the potions master felt the same way about him.

The other positive thing that had happened, was that Sirius had become available to stay with him on the night he needed, and it was so much better not to be alone now that she no longer waited outside his door.

Sirius arrived shortly before the sun finished setting, and found Remus sitting alone, waiting for the moon that was about to rise.

"Moony, you look awful," he observed as he sat next to his friend.

"I think I look better than I feel," Remus croaked.

"Headaches?" asked Sirius.

"Yes, nothing helps," Remus replied with his head back and his eyes closed.

Sirius was sympathetic. "I wish there was something I could do, Remus."

"It's good that you're here, Padfoot." Lupin smiled weakly.

"It's not the same, though, is it?" Sirius asked gently.

Lupin hesitated but then answered softly. "No, even if she had to be outside the door. I really do miss her, Sirius."

He related the story of how Lorien had stayed with him through the transformation that first night, just out of reach on the other side of the door.

Sirius was touched by the story and found his heart softening slightly toward Lorien. He had been less than pleased with her for putting Lupin through this ordeal, even though he knew that she meant no malice to his best friend. But why of all people did it have to be Snape? "I wish that I could talk some sense into that woman," he said. "I just don't understand it, Moony."

"What, Sirius?" Remus asked.

"How she can possibly have that much difficulty with the whole thing. I mean, I have trouble seeing her with Snape and not you. Hell, I have trouble seeing any woman with Snape. What on earth is she thinking?"

Remus smiled thinly. "I'm not really sure. I wish I understood it myself, Padfoot."

Sirius frowned. "The whole thing just seems unfair if you ask me. I mean, how long are you supposed to wait? She can't expect you to wait forever."

"I don't know, but I have to admit things do feel a bit unfair. I just started to feel like things were really starting to pick up, you know, with teaching again, and then meeting her. I finally meet someone that decides she can handle having a werewolf in her life, and then _this_," Remus said. "Of all people, I'm for being open-minded, but did she have to be open-minded enough to fall for a former Death Eater too?"

Sirius looked at him with great concern evident in his eyes. "You say that as if you think she's in love with him," he said.

"I think she is," replied Remus quietly. He stared at the floor as he answered, and considered that possibility for the fiftieth time.

Sirius started to scold his friend. "Moony, don't be ridiculous. You know she's in love with you. Lorien's got to know that Snape can't possibly be interested in more than getting under her robes. I imagine it would be a sort of sick conquest for him, the slimy bastard."

Remus sighed heavily and got up to go and look out the window. "That's what I thought at first, but now I'm not so sure. He said some things the night in the hospital ward before Halloween...."

"You know you can't trust a thing that man says." Sirius growled the interruption.

Remus shrugged tiredly. "It's not just that. When he came off the roof of the Ministry his first concern was her, and when he went to her in the hospital, well, there was something there. I could see it."

"All the same, I think there's no doubt she loves you," Sirius said, trying to be supportive.

Remus nodded. "I don't doubt it at all, Sirius. I'm sure that's what makes things so difficult for her." He smiled a little to try and cheer himself up. "I'm sure that I'll see her soon."

Sirius rested a hand on Remus's shoulder. "I'd count on it. She can't stay away from you long. I mean how could she possibly resist the Lupin charm?" he teased. "Hell, even I can't," he said, laughingly, snuggling up to the werewolf.

Remus swatted at Sirius and laughed a little. "Nutcase. Get off me."

Sirius chuckled and released the joking embrace he had on his best friend, glad that he was at least able to make him laugh a bit before the moon rose.

Remus spoke again. "Sirius."

"Yes?" Sirius asked.

"It's time," he said.

Sirius got up without a word and crossed the room. He transformed, and the large black dog waited silently as the moon emerged from behind a low cloud. He couldn't watch, and it was bad enough that he had to listen to the moans and then terrible cries that followed. It was one thing to put yourself through that torture, but the thought of being involuntarily wrenched from your true form and being forced into another made him shudder. It always had.

When the cries and then whines ended, it took a moment for the large gray wolf to get to his feet. He shook himself all over and then sat on his haunches to quietly regard the even larger black dog across the room.

The black dog rose and padded softly over to stand nose to nose with the wolf for a moment, and then they went to the window together and sat side by side, watching the stars for the longest time.

At last the black dog went to be near the fireplace, and lay down with his great shaggy head on his large paws. The click of nails could be heard as the gray wolf rose and went to lie down next to the sleeping dog, and he rested his chin on the great furry neck. There the two friends stayed throughout the night until the sun rose.

Snape finished preparing the latest batch of wolfsbane potion and eyed it carefully. It was already perfect, but this time he needed to add just one thing more. One last component that would change the nature of the potion and its effects completely.

He carefully lifted the small vial of clear and odorless, but potent neurotoxic poison, and added the necessary amount. It was completely undetectable and Snape smiled with grim satisfaction as he thought of what the now lethal concoction would do to the unsuspecting werewolf.

".....all I have for today. Anything else?" Minerva's voice brought Snape out of his daydream and back to the meeting in the staff room.

There was a murmur of 'no's' through the room and the meeting was ended.

Snape was up and out the door first as was his custom, and he headed for his rooms at the end of a very long day.

As he entered his chambers he thought of the poison again and smiled. It wasn't the first fantasy he'd had about doing away with the handsome and cheerful Gryffindor. He knew he'd never go through with it, but the thought seemed to keep him amused.

Snape flung himself into his favorite chair and sat contemplating the fire over steepled fingers as he wondered what she was doing at that moment. He wondered where she was exactly, who she was with, and mostly, if she thought of him.

He frowned as he realized he was doing it again. What in Merlin's name was wrong? He'd never encountered this particular problem before, and he was at a loss as to how to make it go away.

He gave up again as he thought about the night in her rooms when she had kissed him so willingly, so temptingly, and then he had walked away. He knew that he had made the right choice, but he couldn't help musing about what might have happened had he stayed.

He shook his head to clear the thought from his mind. _That_ was definitely not helping, and now he was frustrated at his own perceived weakness. He was not going to admit it. He couldn't. Not now while things were still in doubt. Not ever if she chose Lupin over him. Snape just couldn't bear the thought that he might have actually fallen in love.

Lorien decided that evening after dinner that she would spend a little time in Perth's peaceful garden, and try to think things through some more.

She went out the back door into the green and warm area that sat surrounded by the snow mounded at its edges, and walked among the flowers that were in bloom. It occurred to her as she stood looking at the detail in the garden that the large degree of light was from the full moon. She sincerely wished that Remus wasn't alone.

She contemplated everything she had shared with the handsome werewolf, and her thoughts were of him and of them together as she sat on the garden bench. She sat thinking of the day they had met, and laughed when she recalled Remus saying that Dumbledore had intended to play matchmaker for them. Well, until they managed to hit it off so well themselves. She smiled as she sat there in the moonlight, thinking about how much she missed him, until her gaze came to rest upon the stand of Siberian irises at the end of the garden. She frowned.

Talk about messy! Things were definitely a mess since she had come to realize her feelings for the enigmatic Slytherin, and although part of her resented the disruption of her established relationship, she knew she couldn't help the way she was drawn to Severus. She now was focused on her intriguing conversations with the potions master, and on his charming attempts at the old Nemorosi language.

Lorien laughed again. Was charming even a word you could use concerning Severus Snape? Not likely. She considered all that she'd been through with him when he'd nearly died, and what they'd gone through together at Halloween, and she found herself wishing that she might be able to sit and talk with him.

She missed them both, didn't she?

Completely frustrated, Lorien decided at that point that she would do something else to take her mind off the problem for a little while. Tomorrow she would go shopping.

It had been a long time since Lorien had been to Diagon Alley, and she was anxious to spend the day among the people and all the stores with their wondrous variety. She hadn't been there long when she caught sight of a blonde woman that she thought she knew. The other Nemorosi witch was about her age, and they had met a few times through Perth. Lorien thought it would be nice to talk to the woman again, and tried to pursue her through the crowded streets, losing her here and there among the shops. Finally she managed to duck into the same bookstore and found the woman standing near the counter.

"Glenda?" Lorien addressed the woman dressed in the same traditional green Nemorosi robes.

The other woman looked pleasantly surprised when she turned to look at Lorien. "Lorien? Oh how nice to see you. How have you been?"

"Very well, thanks. And you?" Lorien asked politely.

" Fine thanks. Are you in town long?" Glenda asked.

"Just for the day to do a little shopping," replied Lorien.

"I ran into Perth a while ago and he told me you were practicing at Hogwarts. How do you like it?" Glenda asked.

"I love it." Lorien decided not to go into a long explanation in the bookstore.

Glenda glanced at the time. "Listen, I'd love to hear all about it, but I have an appointment in a few minutes. Are you free for lunch?"

Lorien nodded. "Yes. That would be wonderful."

"Say, The Leaky Cauldron, twelve-thirty?" asked Glenda.

"Perfect." Lorien smiled at the other witch.

"I'll see you then." The other woman smiled and waved as she left the store.

Lorien had just decided that she would take a look around as long as she was in the bookstore when she heard the screams from outside in the street. There was a brief commotion from people shouting and Lorien ran to the door to see if someone had been hurt.

A small group had gathered in the street and several women were crying or whisking children away from the spot. Lorien approached a group of men that seemed to be hovering over someone laying in the street.

"Is someone hurt? I might be able to help," she offered.

When the man closest to her stood to face her, she knew that there was nothing she could do. The woman in the street was dead, and even worse it was Glenda. Lorien stared at the dead woman, horrified that she had been speaking to her a moment before and now she was gone.

As much as she was pained to look at the still figure in the street, it wasn't the thing that disturbed her most. That thing was what was on the parchment that the man in front of her had picked up off Glenda's body. It was the Dark Mark.

Lorien wasted no time in returning to the gate outside of Perth Taber's house. She had to tell him what she'd seen happen today because he knew the woman and she didn't want him to find out another way. She ran up to the house and her blood ran cold as she reached for the door. The Dark Mark was glowing on the wood in front of her.

She instantly feared for Perth as she shoved the door open and ran inside, calling his name. There was no answer, and she couldn't find him anywhere as she ran through the house, and then out into the garden. He wasn't there either. Lorien started back through the rear door when she heard him call her name frantically from the front of the house. She ran in that direction and met him as he was hurrying toward her.

"Lorien! Are you alright?" he asked, eyes wide with alarm.

"Yes, are you?" she asked.

"I saw the Mark on the door and I worried that...." he started.

"I thought the same," she said, and she went to hug him fiercely. He held her protectively for a moment and finally spoke.

"What do you make of it?" he asked.

"I think it's a warning," she said.

He knew that there was something else by the tone in her voice, and at first he was saddened by the news she gave him about what had taken place in Diagon Alley that morning. Second he was alarmed as a terrible thought occurred to him.

"Lorien, you said that Glenda went into the same store that you did before she was killed?" Perth asked.

"Yes. Why? What is it?" she asked when she saw the look on his face.

He hated to even say it. "I think whoever killed her might have thought it was you."

Lorien saw how someone that didn't know them, or that they were both in the same store could have mistaken the other blonde witch for her. It made sense. Terrible sense. The Death Eaters were retaliating.

Things got much worse over the next twenty-four hours. Word came to them at Taber's house that three more Nemorosi women had been murdered. None of them bore any resemblance to Lorien, and it now appeared that someone was systematically hunting down Nemorosi witches and killing them. The Dark Mark had been left at the scene of each slaying.

A meeting of the Elders had been set up and rapidly conducted, and now word was being sent to all the Nemorosi to warn them of the possible threat.

Despite the quick action taken by the group, another woman was dead by the next morning, and this time it was someone Lorien knew well. She and Dahlia had worked together when Lorien had first completed her medical training, and the two women had stayed in touch ever since. Lorien grieved over the loss of her friend, and fear and anger welled up inside her.

Perth came to her later that day where she sat in the garden, numb with fear and grief. "Lorien."

She looked up at him.

"You have to go," he said.

"What?" she asked.

He looked grave. "It's not safe for you here. They already know you've been here, and it won't take them long to figure out you're still alive. That is if they even mistook Glenda for you. It's possible she was just the first strike of their retaliation. Either way you're not safe here, and I would never forgive myself if I let you stay and something happened to you."

"What do you think I should do?" she asked, more frightened than before.

"I think the best place for you is at Hogwarts," he answered. "The place is like a magically guarded fortress and you'll be under Dumbledore's protection. I dare say there might be one or two other people to keep an eye on you there as well." A hint of a smile accompanied his last remark.

She frowned. "I can look after myself, Perth."

He stopped smiling. "Usually. Know when you can and when it's wise to seek help, Sylvanesti."

She sighed and nodded. "Very well, I'll go in the morning."

He looked at her sternly.

"I'll just get my things together," she said softly.

A/N: I just couldn't resist naming one witch Glenda. No poofy white dress or star-tipped wand for her though, she's a Nemorosi chick! (Oops....._was_ a Nemorosi chick.)

And so....the Mistress of the Healing Arts returns to Hogwarts, ready or not.


	4. Return to Hogwarts

A/N: Indigo! Lorien and Sirius flags? Really! (are you a good witch, or a bad witch?)

Tinne - here's dose of Draco for you.

Birdluvr - I love Sirius's fun side, but he has a darker side later too.

Krew - If only it was that simple!

Remus and Sirius look at each other with concern as they hear the conversation in the next room becoming more heated.

"You didn't really think it through, did you Nytd?" Severus was sneering at her.

"No, I admit I didn't, but there's no need to get so worked up,"she replies tersely.

"Worked up? You sent Malfoy to Azkaban on a whim, and now I have to deal with the mess you created with Draco," he muses bitterly.

"WE, have to deal with Draco, Severus. And tell me you didn't enjoy sending Lucius to prison," she counters.

Severus pauses before continuing his lecture. "Well, I suppose I might have enjoyed it a bit."

"Liar," she says with a smile. "I'm sure you enjoyed it greatly."

"Liar? That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Severus asks the lady author.

"I'm sure you've been called worse," she teases.

"Perhaps," he says wryly. "I will admit that I did find a certain satisfaction at the thought of Lucius rotting in Azkaban. I suppose I'm indebted to you for giving me the opportunity."

"And what do we do if we're indebted to the author?" Nytd asks, expecting Snape to at least voice a simple 'thank you.'

Severus leans over and whispers something in her ear.

Nytd suddenly smiles, decides that Snape's version of 'thank you' sounds a lot more interesting, and quickly shuts down her computer for the evening after saving chapter 4.

--

Return to Hogwarts ~*~

--

It was a rare thing to see Draco Malfoy walking in the hallway without being flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, and the afternoon Snape saw him on the way to the Slytherin dormitories by himself, he groaned inwardly. He didn't really know what he would say to the younger Malfoy, but an opportunity like this was too unusual to pass up. Besides, he could have waited another year and still not known what to say.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape called sternly to the teenager in the hall.

Draco turned and eyed him coldly.

"A word in my office, if you please." Snape's tone gave the impression that it didn't really matter if Draco was pleased or not.

Draco followed the Head of Slytherin house to his office and stood just inside the door, as Snape seated himself in the chair behind his desk. "Sit."

Malfoy stared at him for a long moment and then sat in the chair Snape indicated.

"Shall we get right to it, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked.

Draco glared at the older wizard. "Fine."

"I know you hate me and I don't blame you." Draco looked the tiniest bit surprised and Snape kept going. "I'd hate me too if I were you, because I was a lot like you at that age."

"You're nothing like me!" Draco said angrily. "You're a traitor."

"I'm less like you now, and as for traitor...." Snape shrugged.

"You're the reason my father is in Azkaban! He was your friend. How could you do that? How could you _DO THAT_?" Malfoy shouted at him now.

Snape remained calm in the face of the boy's outburst and continued his explanation. "I know that's how you see things, but it's all part of a terrible illusion. Your father and I have know each other a very long time, and have spent a lot of time together in the past, but as for truly being friends? No, Draco. Did your father ever completely trust me as far back as you can remember? Do you completely trust Crabbe or Goyle?"

He saw the angry look on the boy's face but he pushed it further. "Don't answer me, answer yourself. Do you trust your friends? Do you truly care about them? Or do you watch your back, Draco? Do you seek their company because you like them, or because you know you can intimidate them, have power over them?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Malfoy was furious.

"Ah, but I do. I never betrayed a friend, Draco. As for the fact that I do not stand on the same side of things as your father, that came about long ago. You need to reconsider your thinking." Snape's tone was more insistent now. "Is this what you truly want?"

Snape shoved the left sleeve of his robe up his arm to reveal the black Mark.

Malfoy was angry, but he sputtered and struggled for a moment, trying to find exactly what he wanted to say. Snape didn't give him the chance.

"You think this is an honor? It's enslavement, Draco. Is that what you want? To never truly be able to make your own decisions? Never have your own life? Do you want to end up dead?"

Snape wouldn't relent. "How about in Azkaban like your father? What about like me, Malfoy, with years of your life wasted doing someone else's bidding, and the rest of it spent desperately trying to find some way to make up for it? You think it can't happen to you?" Snape snarled. "Until a short time ago it never occurred to you that it could have happened to me....or to your father." Snape's black eyes were locked in an intense gaze with the boy in front of him until Draco jumped from his chair.

"You don't know anything! You're pathetic!" he cried.

Snape shrugged. He didn't necessarily disagree.

"I do hate you for what you did. The time will come when you'll pay for it, then we'll see who needs to reconsider their thinking!" The younger Malfoy snarled words that the older one likely would have hurled at Snape and stormed out of the room.

Snape watched the boy go and then fell back in his chair, running a hand back through his hair. He hadn't expected to convince the boy to give up his way of thinking. Not with one conversation. But he hoped he had planted a tiny seed of doubt in the boy's mind.

As Lorien neared the castle she was reminded of the day she first walked this same way months ago when she came to work at Hogwarts. Her musings were interrupted as she noticed someone walking toward her, and she frowned slightly as she recognized the tall animagus, even from a distance. Sirius had obviously spotted her and walked toward her as she neared the castle.

She wanted to be glad to see him, but she knew that she was probably not one of his favorite people right now, and it added to her considerable frustration with the situation since she was quite fond of him and had come to count him among her friends. She could see that he was eyeing her intensely as he got close.

"Lorien." He nodded curtly.

"Sirius, how are you?" She kept a cordial tone in her voice.

"Fine, and you?" he asked politely.

"Fine," she answered.

"I don't think anyone was expecting to see you so soon. What are you doing back?" he asked her.

Lorien smiled inside at his familiar and direct manner. "I have to see Dumbledore."

"I see. And do you need to see Remus?" he asked, folding his arms.

"He's not the primary reason that I'm here." She tried to keep her voice neutral as she answered.

Black's eyes narrowed. "And what about Snape? Is he the primary reason?"

Lorien knew this was going to happen. "Sirius, please. My business is with the headmaster."

"So you haven't....decided?" he snarled quietly.

"That's really none of your concern," she said sternly. She was getting angry.

Sirius was obviously getting angry as well. "You don't think Remus is my concern?"

"That's not what I meant," she said, looking him in the eye.

Black pushed her further. "At least one of us is concerned about Remus."

"You think I don't care about Remus? Then you're an idiot," she snapped. "My decision would be easy if I didn't care so much about him."

"I should think your decision would be easy anyway." He glared at her.

"Oh. I see. There it is - you're telling me that things are black and white, aren't you? Good and evil is it, Sirius? Is that how you need to look at it? Just pick Remus because he's good?"

Her intensity caught him a little off guard and she took advantage of his hesitation to continue.

"So, tell me, Sirius. Am I just wrong for caring about Snape? Because you don't? He's evil, right? So I guess that must make me evil for having feelings for the man," she continued bitterly. "A regular dark sorceress for showing compassion to a man that few others ever have, including you." She finished and quickly walked past him, heading for the castle again.

Sirius stood there for a minute, seething, and then finally gritted his teeth and went after her. "Lorien!"

She glared at him quickly but kept walking.

He grabbed her by the arm and she turned on him. "Don't!" she hissed as she pulled her arm back.

"Listen to me," he insisted, and then, "Please."

She stopped and looked at him with anger still in her eyes.

He tried to speak calmly. "Look, I'm sorry. I know this hasn't been easy on you either. It's just that...."

Her expression softened. "I know, Sirius. You're a good friend to him, and I can't tell you how thankful I am for that."

"I've seen you two together. I know how much you care about him. I don't think you'd ever do anything to intentionally hurt him," Sirius confessed.

"I never would," Lorien agreed.

"But Lorien, of all people! Did it have to be Snape?" he asked.

Lorien laughed. "I ask myself the same thing on a regular basis, Sirius." She got the man in front of her to smile just a little.

Sirius finally gave in. "Come here, witch," he said, spreading his arms in welcome.

She accepted the hug he now gave her and then spoke as he released her. "You know that I consider you a friend as well, Sirius."

"I know," he said. "So what is it that does bring you here?" He sounded suddenly concerned.

She became very serious and then he saw that it looked as though she were fighting back tears. "The Death Eaters, Sirius."

He became alarmed. "What about them?"

She could barely answer him. "They're killing the Nemorosi witches."

Sirius went with her quickly as she walked to the headmaster's door and entered.

"Lorien! What a pleasant surprise....what is it, my dear?" Dumbledore saw the looks on each of their faces and became serious in an instant.

She told him about the four other women that were dead and about the Dark Mark on the door of Taber's house.

"Perth was right to send you here. I agree with him that you could be in grave danger even if they weren't specifically targeting you. You'll be safest at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore.

"I can help Poppy since I'll be back for a while," Lorien offered.

Dumbledore nodded. "I suggest you take a few days to get settled back in, but then I'm sure Poppy will welcome the assistance."

Lorien nodded. "Thank you, Albus."

Lorien left the two men to talk and made her way to her rooms just beyond Poppy's. She unlocked the door with a word and stepped inside the familiar surroundings. Most of her things were still here, as she had taken little with her when she left.

Setting her bag down in the bedroom, she hung up her heavy cloak and returned to the sitting room to wait. She figured she had about ten minutes between when Sirius could tell Remus she was here and when Remus knocked on her door. It took him eight.

"Come in," she called as the knock came, and a worried looking Lupin came into her rooms. She looked at the clock and then back. "It took you a full two minutes less than I thought it would."

He smiled. "How are you?"

"Fine Remus. You?" she asked.

"Fine. Lorien, Sirius told me what happened. I'm glad you listened to Taber and came back," he said.

She shrugged. "Yes, everyone seems to agree that this is the safest place."

"Especially now," Remus said.

"Why is that?" Lorien asked.

"Dumbledore has made Sirius head of security," Remus replied.

Lorien snickered.

"Why do you laugh? He's perfect for the job," Lupin said a little defensively.

Lorien smiled apologetically. "I know Remus. It's just that I had this image flash into my mind of a large drunk dog roaming the Forbidden Forest."

Lupin laughed with her for a moment and then became serious again. "It's good to see you," he said, moving to stand closer. He touched her hand.

"And you." Her fingers automatically twined through his for a moment but then she gently pulled away. "Remus, I haven't..."

"I know. It's still good to see you." He moved closer again and put his arms around her in a warm embrace, and it was only a moment before he was kissing her as both of them were caught up in the emotion of the moment.

Lorien was thankful that he pulled away first.

"I'm sorry about your friend, Dahlia," he said.

"Thank you. She didn't deserve to die like that," Lorien said sadly.

"No one does, Lorien," Remus said.

"Things are going to get worse, aren't they?" she asked him, sounding very concerned.

"I think so. A lot worse," he said quietly. "Well, I should let you get some rest. Let me know if there's anything I can do, Lorien." He kissed her quickly on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

Remus left and Lorien stood alone, thankful that they had managed to get through that without it being too awkward, and without her giving in to the feelings half of her so desperately wanted to give into.

She was definitely happy to see him, but it was difficult to sort out all of the things she felt when he'd walked into the room. It had felt so good to have his arms around her. She felt so protected. So safe. Especially after everything that had been happening.

Part of her wanted to do nothing more than to go after him and have him stay with her, and part of her knew that it didn't quite feel right. She felt guilt about what she'd been putting him through well up inside her, and she knew that she had to wait. She had to be sure before she made her decision, because there was no going back once she did. It would be unfair to all three of them for her to act impulsively, and Lorien had promised herself that once things were clear to her, she'd never give either of them any reason to question what her decision ended up being.

It turned out that Remus was right. Things did get a whole lot worse that very night.

In the history of Azkaban, there had only ever been one successful escape. No one else had ever done what Sirius Black had managed to do, but then again, no one ever had twenty Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort to break them out.

The attack was not a complete surprise, but it was a short struggle nonetheless. The balance was shifted because the dementors sensed the tide was turning and it was not long before they were siding against the guards they had worked for. In the end all of the guards and three aurors were dead or worse, and every prisoner present in addition to the seven incarcerated Death Eaters was released from the island fortress. Voldemort himself personally released the Lestranges.

The five remaining Death Eaters would take a while to recover from their short stay in the wizard prison, but the experience they had gone through only fueled their desire to seek revenge on those that had put them there.

As for the remaining thieves and murderers that Voldemort had released, all of them were given an ultimatum. The choice was simple, join them and swear undying allegiance to the dark lord, or die there on the spot. Very few were foolish enough to defy the dark lord and most of them didn't have the will left to do so even if they wanted to. Voldemort found that by the end of the night the number of his most loyal supporters had doubled.

Not only did he find some with the talent to join the ranks of his Death Eaters in the newly liberated group of thugs, but he had effectively established what would become a group of so called bounty hunters.

Voldemort established that bounties would be given for any auror or ranking Ministry official that should be brought to him, either dead or alive but especially alive. He wanted Cornelius Fudge, and he wanted all of the Moodys, but the greatest rewards he set upon the heads of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and especially Severus Snape.

As for Lorien, Voldemort was already in her debt. It had been her interference with Fincastle that night that ultimately lead to the wizard's death, but also focused the dark lord's attention on the potential threat posed by the remainder of the Nemorosi group. He had decided to be pro- active and had begun having them systematically executed. He didn't care how long it took, he was going to destroy the remainder of the powerful Nemorosi clan, starting with the witches. Even though the serpent animagus was indirectly responsible, the Nemorosi legend was coming true.

For Harry, Ron, and Hermione, one of the best things about returning to school after the break was getting to see Hagrid. The Hogwarts gamekeeper had been absent for the majority of last term and the three friends missed stopping by his hut to visit with him.

It looked like the traveling he had been doing to act as ambassador to the Giants in the north might pay off in the battle against Voldemort, and Hagrid had been anxious to tell the tales of his travels to the three young Gryffindors when they went to visit him the first Saturday back at school.

"So there yeh have it," Hagrid pronounced, as he finished telling about his recent adventures.

"It sounds like things are promising with the Giants, Hagrid," said Hermione when he finished.

"I hope so," he replied. "So, wha's new with the three of yeh?"

They all looked at each other. It was hard to know where to begin, but eventually Harry, Ron and Hermione were able to convey most of the major events of the previous fall.

"I reckon I'd never thought I'd see that," said Hagrid, when Hermione had filled in her part about the medical witch and Professors Lupin and Snape. "Kinda feel bad fer Lupin."

Ron and Harry looked happy that Hagrid seemed to share the same feelings that they did.

A/N: So there. My token attempt at writing Hagrid. And as far as Draco Malfoy goes, I'm just about as unhappy about dealing with him as Severus is, but you can't send his father to Azkaban and not expect to have issues with Draco at some point. So I guess it's my own fault ( and Snape's) that now I have to contend with ferret-boy. :P

BIG NOTE : Fanfic challenge warning. Just to give all the writers out there warning that next chapter I'll be issuing a fanfic challenge involving Severus, Sirius, and Remus. Get a fresh bottle of ink and your best quills ready.


	5. Unconventional Methods

**A/N:** Nightdweller - A resounding welcome to the madness amiga!

Ctina - Do you honestly think I would let Remus greet Lorien, but not Severus? My dear, you know me better than that. ;)

Nytd realizes that Remus and Sirius appeared horrified as she emerges from her office. "What?" she asks.

"Um, Nytd? We couldn't help but overhear that Snape was going to _thank_ you," Remus ventures.

"So?" she asks, not appearing very concerned.

"Are you really going to....going to...." Sirius couldn't bring himself to put the frightening image in his head into words.

"What?" Nytd asks, looking puzzled at the looks the two men are wearing. "Let him take me to dinner? I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Dinner?" Remus and Sirius ask together, obviously thinking along different lines.

"Yes." She frowns. "Wait a minute...don't tell me you two thought..."

"Well, we didn't actually hear what he suggested," offered Remus. "And this is Snape we're talking about."

Nytd shakes her head. "Honestly! All he said was that he'd like to take me out to celebrate Malfoy going to Azkaban."

"Oh, well, sorry Nytd," Sirius apologizes for them.

Nytd walks off, not understanding where Remus and Sirius get their ideas. ;)

--

Unconventional Methods ~*~

--

Hermione Granger did a double take as she was walking down the hall. She could have sworn she had just seen Lorien heading for the medical wing. Normally she would have worried about being late for class, but her curiosity got the better of her and she detoured down the hall that led to the infirmary and living quarters of the two Hogwarts healers.

Lorien was just reaching her door at the end of the hallway and Hermione found herself calling to the older woman in surprise. "Mistress Lorien?"

Lorien turned to see Hermione walking toward her. "Hello, Hermione. How are you?"

"Fine, and you?" Hermione asked politely.

"Just fine, thank you," Lorien replied, pleased to see the bright young woman.

"Are you, um, back?" Hermione asked her.

"More or less," Lorien chuckled.

Hermione ventured further. "Have you seen Remus yet?"

Lorien smiled at the teenager. "Yesterday." She wondered how much the teenager knew.

"Are you.....oh, I'm sorry, I'm prying." Hermione was suddenly embarrassed.

"Am I what?" Lorien asked kindly as the girl looked uncomfortable. "Hermione, it's ok. Here, step inside with me for a minute."

Hermione couldn't have cared less about missing history of magic at that point. She was too curious to see the older witch's quarters and possibly find out what was happening with Remus to mind.

Lorien watched as Hermione tried to get a look around without seeming too obvious. "It's ok. Go ahead and look. I was always curious about my teachers when I was at school. It's funny how you don't think of them as being real people outside of class sometimes."

Hermione looked like she felt more at ease and made straight for Lorien's bookshelf. "There are so many books here! Oh, you have muggle writings too." Hermione felt even more comfortable with the older woman. She spotted the worn purple binding and picked it up off the shelf. "This must be your favorite."

Lorien smiled as Hermione picked her favorite Kipling novel off the shelf. "Yes, it is," she replied as the girl carefully placed it back.

"Hermione, you were going to ask me about Remus, weren't you?" asked Lorien.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "I was just concerned ....about you both. I didn't mean to be rude."

Lorien indicated that the two women should sit down, and Hermione joined her on the couch.

"Hermione, I'm not upset with you. I assumed that you and Ron and Harry must know some of what's been happening. You spent enough time visiting Sirius. I just hope you haven't told many people?"

"No one. Only the three of us know," Hermione said.

"Thank you. Remus and I haven't figured out what we're going to do yet," replied Lorien.

Hermione started to speak. "So that means that you haven't..." She stopped short.

"Haven't what, Hermione?" It was Lorien's turn to be curious.

Hermione looked uncomfortable again. "Decided," was all she whispered.

Lorien realized just how much the girl knew and sighed. "No, I haven't. I know it's probably very difficult for a young Gryffindor like you to understand, but ....."

"No. That's just it. I think I do understand," said Hermione. "The guys are having a much harder time with it, but I...I don't know. It's like you said, sometimes you don't really think of professors as being real people outside of class. You don't think of them as being different, in different circumstances or with different people."

Lorien was amazed at the girl's understanding and open-mindedness. "I'm surprised that you don't have more of a problem with Professor Snape being involved."

Hermione was quiet for a minute, and then spoke. "He's different with you, isn't he?"

"A bit. He's still Snape." Lorien laughed a little and Hermione smiled. "You look like you were going to ask something else," Lorien said to her.

Hermione bit her lip and looked at the older woman while she hesitated. Finally she smiled again and spoke. "Do you call him .....Severus?"

Lorien laughed and nodded. "Of course."

Hermione wrinkled her nose up at the idea although she remained smiling. "I don't think I could imagine ever....."

Lorien grinned. "Try it and see sometime when you feel the need to wipe the board clean of Gryffindor points."

It was Hermione's turn to laugh.

Professor Snape was walking quickly down the hallway, making his way through the throng of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students that had just got out of their last class of the afternoon. He was impatiently trying to get around a pair of girls that were busy talking and hadn't noticed the head of Slytherin house coming up behind them in a hurry.

Susan Bones had her head bent toward her classmate as the girls continued to converse, and Snape was just about to snap at the pair to move along when he overheard what they were saying.

"So, did you hear that Mistress Lorien is back?" Susan asked her companion.

Snape held his tongue.

"Really? How'd you find out?" the other girl asked.

"I was talking to Hermione earlier this afternoon and she said that she had run into her in the hospital wing. Evidently she's going to be working with Madame Pomfrey."

Snape didn't need to hear any more of the conversation, and he quickened his steps toward the medical ward, which was already his destination. He already had in his hand the perfect excuse to be there - the week's passwords to the controlled substances in the potions storeroom.

No one was in the hospital ward and Snape went to the open office door.

Poppy looked up at him from her desk. "Good afternoon, Severus."

"Poppy," Snape said. "Here you are." He handed her the small sealed parchment.

"Thank you. I hope you weren't too difficult for Lorien while I was away," she scolded. She waited for a snide comment in return, but the answer he gave her was puzzling.

"That remains to be seen." Snape turned and strode out of the room.

'Now what?' he wondered. She hadn't been in the office, and he hesitated in the hall as he looked in the direction of her door. He wrestled with whether he should or shouldn't go to see if she were there. Maybe he would. After all, he was here anyway. He took a step in that direction and then hesitated. She hadn't come to find him. How long had she been back? It must have been last night. Well, let her come to the dungeon if she wanted to see him. He turned back to find Lorien standing behind him with her arms crossed and an amused look on her face.

"Hello, Severus. Made up your mind?" she asked sweetly as she uncrossed her arms and walked past him toward her rooms.

The words 'no and how about you?' sprang to mind but Snape thought better of voicing them. He saw Lorien glance back at him once over her shoulder and he decided that he would follow.

Once inside her sitting room, Lorien turned to him and indicated the couch. "There, where I can keep an eye on you," she said.

Snape gazed at her as he moved toward the couch. "Now, where would be the fun in that?"

She gave an exasperated sigh and sat down in the nearby chair.

Snape gave her a concerned look. "You trust me that little?" he said, indicating the empty cushion on the couch next to him.

Lorien eyed him for a moment and then got up to change seats. "It's just that I know you that well." She sat down next to him.

"Better," he said as he sat at an angle and laid his arm casually along the back of the couch behind her. He was amused to see her tense for a second until she knew where he was putting his arm.

"A bit jumpy, aren't we?" he chided her.

"You don't have a good track record," she scolded him, beginning to smile.

His hand toyed with her hair a little. "And what are you accusing me of?" he asked smoothly.

She bit her lip for a minute. "See, there. You're doing it again."

"What, this?" He ran his fingers under a large handful of the blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders and let it cascade through them as he leaned very close.

"Now, stop that." She looked flustered. "What happened to not interfering?" she scolded gently. "I believe you're cheating, Severus."

"You are speaking to the Head of Slytherin," he said in an amused way. "I believe it's what we call _using unconventional methods to gain the advantage_."

"Yes, well I believe it's what we Ravenclaws call _cheating_." Lorien started to laugh and then saw the serious way he was looking at her. "What?" she asked.

He hesitated.

"Severus, what?" she asked again.

"Lorien, I hope you know that I wouldn't lay a finger on you if I ever thought you truly didn't want me to," he said softly.

She looked into the intense black eyes. "I know."

"Good, but since apparently we don't have that problem....." He looked at her meaningfully. She threw her hands up slightly in defeat and kissed him back.

"Severus, you don't know why I came back so soon, do you?" she said when he released her.

"I admit I don't," he replied.

She told him about the murders, and she saw something darken in his expression.

"You were right to come back. This is where you'll be the safest." His voice sounded a little strained.

"What is it, Severus?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said.

She touched his arm. "Tell me."

He finally answered her. "I don't like the thought of someone threatening you, Lorien."

"I know," she said softly, thinking back to what had happened to the last person that had threatened her. Snape had made certain that Fincastle would never harm her, and it was an issue that she had very strong mixed emotions about.

Part of her was horrified that he'd killed the man, and used an unforgivable curse no less, but most of her was grateful to him for risking his own life while giving her the chance to escape. It was difficult to condemn the man for his use of the Killing curse when he'd used it to save her life, and besides, did she even feel bad that the Nemorosi Death Eater was dead? She felt a twinge of guilt when she realized the answer was no.

And of course there was more guilt on her conscience concerning Severus, and what she was putting him through as well. She knew that although he might not openly express himself about the situation, there had been little doubt in her mind about his feelings for her the night he came to her bedside in the hospital. She had seen it in his eyes.

He spoke again as he stood. "I must go. There are a number of things I must tend to this afternoon. If you'll excuse me, Lorien?"

"Of course." Lorien rose with him and accompanied him to the door. "It's good to see you, Severus," she said.

"Is it?" he asked her evenly.

"Yes." She looked away a little and he knew that she hadn't decided yet. Which could be good or bad. He thought things over for a moment and placed slender fingers under her chin to make her look at him. His ebony eyes searched hers for a long moment and he spoke only two words before he left. "Be certain."

Lorien knew that he meant either way.

On the weekend before she was supposed to start teaching classes, Marlina Perkins was trying to get organized and unpack all of her things as well as her son's. Noah had been playing quietly by himself for a long time, but now he was getting bored and she decided they would take a break.

"How about if we go outside for a while?" she asked him, as she put on her Aussie style safari hat and tucked in all her wavy red hair.

"Okay," Noah agreed cheerfully.

She took him for a walk on the grounds, and he became very excited as he could see that one of the school teams was practicing quidditch.

"Mom, can we watch?" He was already pulling her by the sleeve toward the quidditch pitch.

"Ok. Let's go see what they're doing," said his mother.

Noah decided that she wasn't walking fast enough and left her to dart on ahead toward the flying broomsticks.

"Slow down, Noah," she called, and then as she noticed the two men standing at the edge of the pitch watching practice, she called to him again. "Don't get in the way!" She saw both of the men look up at the sound of her voice and then look toward the small boy running their way.

She smiled to herself as she was sure that her son had just introduced himself to the two men watching the Gryffindor team work out. She could see the two of them better as she got closer, and they were speaking to the boy and looking where he pointed in her direction. One of them, who had light brown hair had squatted down to the boy's height to talk to him, and the other taller dark haired man was looking her direction and smiling.

"Sorry. I hope he's not bothering you," she said with a smile when she got to the three of them.

"Noah's no bother at all, Marlina Perkins." The black haired man had a winning smile and she thought he looked somewhat familiar. She knew Noah must have announced her to the two men as well.

The other man finished what he was saying to her son and stood back up. "I believe we went to school together, Marlina, although you were a few years behind us. I'm Remus Lupin."

She hadn't recognized him after so many years, and since she didn't know him well at Hogwarts, but she recognized the name of the man with the gray eyes as she shook his hand.

"This is Sirius Black," Lupin said steadily, introducing his companion.

Marlina tried to look less alarmed than she felt when she realized why the man had looked familiar. She forced herself to smile as she steeled herself and shook the man's hand. She never would have imagined the smiling handsome man before her was Azkaban's famous escapee.

"Nice to meet you both," she said.

Black held onto her hand and looked at Lupin. "Pretty convincing performance, eh?"

Lupin looked at Marlina. "Not bad, not bad. I'd say a seven out of ten."

"What are you talking about?" Marlina slowly withdrew her hand.

"How convinced we are that you're really that calm about meeting my friend here," Lupin said with a wry smile.

She knew her face was red. "I didn't.."

"It's ok, really," Black said reassuringly.

"So, you're teaching Care of Magical Creatures?" Lupin changed the subject to her great relief.

"Yes. Are you both on staff here?" she asked, thankful for a different topic.

"Yes, Sirius is in charge of security, and I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts," Remus informed her.

"I see. Noah don't get too close!" Marlina called to her son nearby, and then turned back to the two men.

Sirius looked at where the auburn haired lad kept edging closer to the practicing team and walked the few steps over to the boy.

"So, do you like Quidditch, Noah?" he asked as he knelt on one knee.

Noah nodded enthusiastically. "It's cool."

"You've got that right." Sirius smiled at him and noticed that practice was ending. "Noah, would you like to meet a friend of mine?"

"Sure, Sirius," the boy said.

Sirius stood and flagged down the Gryffindor seeker who looped around once more and came to land next to his godfather.

"I want to introduce you to someone, Harry," Sirius said with a wink.

Harry indulged Sirius for the sake of the small boy and smiled.

Sirius introduced them. "Harry, this is Noah Perkins. Noah, I'd like you to meet Harry Potter."

Noah's eyes went wide and then to Harry's forehead. "Wow! It _is_ you."

Marlina watched with Remus as Sirius introduced her son to the famous Harry Potter.

"Sirius is Harry's godfather," Remus informed her.

Marlina turned to Remus while Sirius was occupied. "I hope that he doesn't think...I mean I know he's been pardoned. It's just..."

"Takes a bit to get used to the idea, that's all. He knows. He's used to dealing with it." Lupin smiled at her.

Sirius and Remus walked back toward the castle together after Marlina and Noah had left them.

"Cute kid," Remus commented.

"Cute witch," Sirius replied.

"Don't even tell me you were checking that boy's mother out!" Remus pretended to be appalled.

"What? All I said was she's cute." Sirius smiled. "You didn't think so?"

"I didn't say that," Remus said slyly.

--

A/N: Subject: Fanfic Challenge!

If you've made it this far in the adventure, then you obviously know by now that I am one for having a bit of fun. (Can you say 'birdcage'?) Well, what could be more fun than getting others involved in the madness? I propose a challenge for any of you willing witches and wizards.

Here's the premise. Remus, Sirius and Severus are the main characters. They get sent on a mission for Dumbledore together to gather intelligence about Death Eater activity and whereabouts. (just get back/about to go ok also as long as the mission plays an important part in the story)

Should be one or two chapters. Rating whatever you like. Not slash, please. Ok to be comedy, angst, romance, drama - you name it. May be year 5 or beyond. May include any other characters that you wish. Sirius may be free or a fugitive in hiding still. Severus may still be a spy or not. (Sorry, Remus is still a werewolf.)

Stipulations: At some time in the story Sirius Black gets kissed by a man. (Yes, that's right, I said not slash.)

Severus gets kissed by no fewer than four different women. (Hard to imagine, I know, but it is a challenge after all.)

Remus must discover a very important piece of information about Snape's past, good or bad.

One of them must have a conversation with the sorting hat.

Someone in the story must say "I'm getting too old for this shit." (Bleep it if you have to for rating)

At least one person must get substantially drunk.

Remus must demonstrate/use his knowledge of Defense in some way.

Severus must make/use a unique potion.

Sirius must save someone's life.

Every character in the story must say the name 'Harry Potter' once.

There. Up to it? We have some very good writers in the group, and from what I hear we have some others that haven't posted anything yet but should. Go for it! If you post a fic, e-mail me when it goes up and I'll include the link in subsequent chapters of AHN so others can read it too!

I can't even begin to tell you of some of the wicked ideas that began to enter my mind as I was writing this. I look forward to seeing if there are any takers!


	6. Professor Perkins

A/N: LES - welcome and thank you. To answer your question - the kiss does not have to be romantic. Happy writing! BTW - my guess would be Lily Evans Snape, am I close?

Mandemi - Hello! Go for it, chica!

About the challenge - It must be the full name "Harry Potter" and there is no deadline. It's not a contest, just a bit of fun! E-mail me if you have any other questions.

Professor Perkins ~*~

Lorien looked up at the door across the room when she heard someone come in and was surprise to see a woman with a small boy. The little boy couldn't have been more that six, and the attractive woman dressed in khaki slacks and robe appeared to be about her age. Lorien noted the deep red wavy hair tucked up under the Aussie style hat the woman wore as she started across the room to talk to her. She knew that this must be the new teacher, Professor Perkins.

After meeting Lupin and Black at the Quidditch pitch, Marlina decided that it would be a good idea to stop by the hospital ward to talk to Madame Pomfrey. She wanted to make her aware of the occasional problems that Noah had with asthma so that she could keep the correct potions on hand, and she walked into the infirmary.

Madame Pomfrey was not it her office, but Marlina saw another witch coming toward her from across the large ward. The woman was blonde and attractive and appeared to be close to Marlina's own age. Perhaps a few years older. She smiled at the woman, but Noah got to her first.

"Hello," he cheerfully said to the woman.

The woman in blue robes smiled at the little boy. "Hello to you too."

"I'm Noah." He held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Mistress Lorien." She shook the small hand he offered her.

Marlina laughed. "I'm Marlina Perkins, his mother."

"Lorien Desjardins." They shook hands. "So nice to meet you Professor."

"Is Madame Pomfrey about?" Marlina asked.

"Somewhere. I think she may have gone to the greenhouses," Lorien replied, knowing that Poppy was probably off exchanging new gossip with Forsythia. "I work with her. Is there something that maybe I can help you with?"

Marlina explained the situation with Noah.

"Well, let's get a file started on him ahead of time, just in case we need it," Lorien replied.

Marlina followed her to the office while Noah looked around at all the medical supplies in the locked cabinets.

"Please, sit." Lorien offered her a chair where she could see out the door, and picked up a quill and parchment. She struck up a conversation between writing Marlina's answers to her medical question.

"You're son is adorable. How old is he, five, six?" Lorien asked.

"Thank you," replied Marlina with a smile. "He's six."

"Quite a little gentleman," the medical witch commented. "So is this your first time teaching?"

"Yes, I've never instructed before, but I'm looking forward to it," Marlina admitted.

Lorien continued to ask questions. "Did you go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes, quite some years ago," Marlina joked. "Did you?"

"No, Oakwood in Boston," Lorien told her. "Also quite a while ago."

Marlina found she had a nice smile. "Really? Did you like it there?"

"Very much. But this is home for me," replied Lorien.

"I know," agreed Marlina, "I've traveled all over in the past, but I always look forward to coming home."

"Where did you travel?" asked the blonde woman.

"All over the country and large parts of Europe. I spent a year in Romania," answered Marlina.

Lorien looked up from the parchment. "Romania?"

"Yes. I did an internship with Theseus Pepperidge studying dragons," said Marlina.

She saw the Hogwarts healer look at her carefully and she thought she caught a hint of amusement in the woman's voice. "Do you like dragons, Marlina?"

Marlina nodded enthusiastically. "They're fascinating."

"I couldn't agree more. So what did you do during the rest of your travels?" Lorien asked her.

"My husband and I both worked for the Ministry. DRCMC," she answered.

"Oh, how interesting! Beast Division or Being Division?" Lorien asked as she wrote a little more information in Noah's chart.

Marlina seemed a little hesitant. "Beast Division. We both worked in the WCU."

"Sorry?" The medical witch looked up at her again.

"Werewolf Capture Unit." Marlina saw something odd in the woman's expression for a moment and then it was gone.

"So what does your husband do now?" Lorien asked, quickly changing the subject.

Marlina paused for a moment and she knew that the healer picked up on her hesitation. "My husband passed away a few years ago," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been difficult for you and Noah." Lorien sounded sincerely concerned.

"Noah never really knew his father. He was killed in the field not long after Noah was born." Marlina wasn't really sure why she was telling this woman so much about her life, but it felt good to talk to another woman her age. She could see the look of concern on her face as she spoke again.

"Marlina...was it...?"

"Yes. He was killed by a werewolf. I could never go back to the Ministry after that." Her voice was very quiet as she spoke. "We always knew there would be risks. I just never thought....." Marlina trailed off.

Lorien touched her arm briefly. "I'm so sorry."

"No need to be. It's not like it's your fault. You're not one of 'them'." The new professor sounded a little bitter.

"They aren't always dangerous, Marlina," Lorien said kindly.

"Tell that to my husband." Marlina regretted her last comment as soon as she saw the look on the woman's face. "Lorien, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go on about my past like that, I guess I haven't put it as far behind me as I'd like to think."

"It's fine, really. Don't even worry about it." The healer smiled at her warmly again. "You know, Marlina. I think it's good that you came back to Hogwarts."

"Why is that?" Marlina asked.

Lorien shrugged a little. "Oh, I just have a feeling that working with the staff here will be good for you."

"You think so?" Marlina laughed. "Well the ones I've met so far seem very nice, including you."

Lorien smiled at her. "And who else have you met ?"

"I just met Sirius Black," Marlina whispered.

"Not what you expected?" The blonde woman looked amused.

"No," Marlina admitted.

"One of the nicest men I know," Lorien informed her.

"Good to hear. He was with Remus Lupin when I met him. I never really got to know them at school. I was several years behind them," replied Marlina.

"Sirius knows Harry Potter!" Noah chimed in from the doorway.

Both women smiled at the boy.

"Remus is another," Lorien continued, "and he's an excellent teacher. The students and the staff all adore him and I'm sure you will too once you get to know him."

"Remus knows Harry Potter, too," Noah contributed.

Marlina laughed. " As you can see, Sirius and Remus know Noah as well."

Lorien watched as Marlina and Noah left the hospital ward and frowned slightly when the door had closed. Marlina didn't know. Obviously she never knew when she was at school, and she hadn't been back at Hogwarts long enough to find out.

Professor Perkins obviously hated werewolves, and Lorien knew it was going to get even more interesting around here when the woman eventually found out about him. She only hoped that by the time she did, she knew what a kind and gentle person Remus Lupin was.

Sunday Lorien was surprised when she was summoned to see Dumbledore. When she walked into his office she noted Severus was already there, and he was leaning with his back against the wall and arms folded across his chest.

"Good morning, Lorien," he said quietly, and she noted the strained look he appeared to be trying to control.

She greeted both of the men and then looked up in mild surprise as Sirius and Remus also entered the office behind her.

Remus gave a curt nod to Snape. "Severus."

Snape looked at him steadily. "Lupin," he acknowledged.

Remus turned to Lorien. "Good morning," he said as he lightly touched her arm before sitting.

She smiled at him and returned the greeting, then looked as Sirius spoke to her.

"Treehugger," he greeted her quietly with a mischievous smile.

"Mutt." She smiled back as she sat down beside the two friends. Snape remained where he was.

The headmaster spoke. "Thank you all for coming. I'm afraid I have something of the utmost urgency to tell you all."

Dumbledore looked as serious as Lorien had ever seen him. "What is it?" she asked nervously.

"I'm afraid that there has been a break in at Azkaban," he replied solemnly.

"A break IN?" asked Sirius.

"Yes." Dumbledore looked around gravely. "Voldemort freed all of the Death Eaters sent there after Halloween. I've only just found out. All of the guards were killed so there was a delay in word reaching the mainland."

"And the other prisoners?" Sirius asked.

"A few were found dead, most of them were just missing," answered Dumbledore.

"I'd venture to say that they're with Voldemort now," Snape added from where he stood. "I'm sure he offered them an ultimatum."

Dumbledore nodded. "That's my feeling as well."

"This is terrible news," Remus said. "My guess would be that they'll be less than understanding about spending two months in Azkaban, and that the Nemorosi witches aren't the only ones in trouble."

Snape spoke up again. "There is no doubt, Lupin, that they'll seek retaliation against the Ministry and the aurors. I believe the four of us will make their top ten list as well."

"But that means that Hogwarts might be threatened if all of us are here," Lorien said with great concern.

"Indeed," said Snape as his eyes met hers.

Dumbledore spoke up again. "I believe that you are all safest while you are here at the school, and likewise that Hogwarts will be best protected with all of you here as well." He looked at Sirius. "I believe it's time that we pursue some of your recommendations."

"I think it is, too," Black said solemnly.

The others looked at the headmaster questioningly.

"Sirius has recommended that at least for the time being we cancel the student outings to Hogsmeade, and that we indefinitely postpone the school quidditch matches."

"It doesn't make sense to give them large groups as targets," Sirius added.

"Will they still be allowed around the grounds?" Remus asked.

Dumbledore answered him. "Yes, but as usual only during daylight hours. I'm going to ask all the staff to be extra vigilant in monitoring the grounds."

"That's still a lot to monitor," returned Lupin.

"That's why we're bringing in reinforcements," Dumbledore said, and then looked at Sirius.

"Reinforcements?" asked Snape.

Black looked at him coolly. "Yes. I thought it would be wise to have extra help. The headmaster has agreed that having aurors on the grounds would probably be a good idea at this point."

Dumbledore smiled. "Cornelius has assured me that anything we ask for will be provided for in all haste. He's sending the six aurors Sirius has requested within the next day or so."

"So you mean..." Lorien started to ask with a smile at Sirius.

"You got it. I don't know about you, but I would definitely want the Moody clan covering our backs. They certainly proved themselves at Halloween," replied Sirius.

'I think it's an excellent idea," she replied.

Lupin concurred. "So do I."

They all looked at Snape who merely nodded in agreement.

"Good," replied Dumbledore. "I may be asking for input from all of you again."

Marlina was walking past the large stone gargoyle with Noah when Lupin, Black, Desjardins, and Snape all emerged from the headmaster's office.

"Sirius!" Noah was excited to see the person that had introduced him to Harry Potter.

"Hi, Noah." Sirius and Remus turned to speak to the small boy.

"Hi Lorien!" Noah called to the blonde witch standing a short way away talking to a tall dark robed wizard, and then he hung back with the two Gryffindors as Marlina approached Lorien.

Lorien smiled and turned to say good morning. "Hi Noah. Good morning, Marlina."

"Good morning, Lorien." Marlina could see the black haired wizard was looking at her the same way she was looking at him.

"Marlina, have you met our potions master?" Lorien asked. "This is Severus Snape. Severus, this is Marlina Perkins."

"I believe we've met." Snape eyed the khaki clad professor coolly.

Marlina saw Lorien look a little surprised. "Severus and I went to Hogwarts together," she explained.

"Oh, of course," the medical witch said.

Noah strode into the middle of the group to face Snape. "I haven't met you yet."

"My son, Noah," Marlina explained.

"I see," said Snape as he was noticing the stern look that Lorien was giving him, and then she jerked her head slightly in the boy's direction. He reluctantly took the hint. "Master Noah, it is an honor to make your acquaintance," he said a bit stiffly.

"This is Professor Snape," Lorien said to the boy. Noah gave her a meaningful look and she laughed a little and leaned down to whisper to him. "Severus."

Noah nodded, satisfied that he was now on a first name basis with everyone present.

"Well, if you'll all excuse me?" Snape looked around the group briefly. "Lorien." He acknowledged the blonde witch and swept quickly down the hall.

Marlina stood with her son, Lorien, Sirius and Remus and looked at the other woman as she spoke.

"I wasn't sure if you knew Severus at school, since he was the same year as these two." Lorien indicated the two men standing with them and smiled.

"I didn't know a lot of people that far ahead, but you pretty much remember everyone in your own house, don't you?" Marlina commented.

Lorien looked mildly surprised and then amused as she saw the expressions that Remus and Sirius wore. Evidently they hadn't remembered the red haired woman was a Slytherin.

Noah piped up again. "Mom, I'm hungry. Can we get breakfast now?"

"Hey, a man after my own heart." Sirius smiled. "Remus and I are going. Noah, perhaps you and the ladies will join us?" He smiled at Marlina and then looked meaningfully at Lorien, who pretended not to notice.

"You three go along with Noah, I've got loads to help Poppy with." Lorien excused herself.

Marlina and Noah sat with Sirius and Remus at the end of the Gryffindor table now that most of the students were straggling out.

"Bet it's the first time you ever sat at this table," Sirius teased her.

She shot him a look and then finally smiled. "I agreed only because you two couldn't handle sitting at my table."

Noah asked Remus which table was his.

"Well, you really can sit anywhere you want now, Noah, but you won't know which your house table is for a few more years," said Remus.

"I want to be in Harry Potter's house," Noah decided.

"Well, and who wouldn't?" Sirius quipped.

Marlina rolled her eyes. She took her hat off and set in down on the table next to her.

Sirius turned to make a comment to Remus but kept quiet when he saw the odd expression on his friend's face, and then Lupin spoke to Marlina. "So, are you ready for classes tomorrow?"

Marlina shook her head. "Hardly. I've barely got us settled, never mind getting ready for class. I've got plenty of lecture material but my first set of murtlaps were supposed to be here today and now they aren't arriving until Wednesday. Next week should be a lot better, but I must say I'm disappointed."

"Why is that?" Lupin asked.

"Well, I just wanted something for my first lectures that was, well..."

"Cool?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

She smiled slowly. "Yes, I guess so."

"That's understandable. I don't blame you for being a little disappointed." Lupin looked at Sirius and Noah who were obviously enjoying breakfast together.

Sirius spoke again thoughtfully as he gestured at Marlina with his fork. "Hmmm. I wonder... Marlina what do you know about dragons?"

"Quite a bit. I spent a year in Romania with Pepperidge studying them," she answered.

"Really? Would you ever do a segment on dragon care and handling in your class?" Remus asked, casually interested.

"I'd love to," she said.

"What about this week?" Sirius asked.

"Be a bit dull without a dragon though, wouldn't it?" Remus asked between bites.

"Who said she'd have to do it without a dragon?" Sirius looked meaningfully at Remus.

"No, Remus is right. I'd never be able to get one that fast, and besides, I'm sure that I shouldn't be bringing a dragon in for students to handle," Marlina said with a chuckle.

"What about a small one? Say a turquoise?" Sirius asked.

"Now, that would be ideal. They're small and pretty docile. There's no way to arrange to bring one in so quickly, though," Marlina said.

Remus stopped with a fork half way to his mouth and looked at Sirius with wide eyes. "You can't possibly...."

Sirius cut him off. "Remus and I just might know where to get you a dragon for class tomorrow, Marlina."

Remus looked horrified. "Sirius, I think that's asking an awful lot of her."

"Her?" Marlina questioned.

Sirius stepped on Remus's foot under the table on purpose to quiet him. "The dragon's...keeper. I'm sure she'd be willing to help us for education's sake." He looked at Remus as he spoke.

Marlina now looked excited. "Do you really think you can do it? That would be wonderful. A turquoise would be just the right size for demonstration purposes."

Sirius stood up and elbowed Remus to get him to follow. "We'll see what we can do." He winked at Marlina.

Remus reluctantly dragged himself from the remains of his breakfast and followed Sirius shaking his head. When Sirius got an idea like this in his head, there was no changing his mind.

.


	7. Gryffindors to the Rescue

Ainsley - thanks for the review. *Nytd backs slowly away, keeping a wary eye on the giant orange hippo.*

deSevera - silver and turquoise scarf? Cool!

Jig - of course the 'tails' side would go to Remus!

Gryffindors to the Rescue ~*~

Sirius and Remus walked down the hall toward the medical wing, arguing quietly as they went.

"Honestly, Padfoot, I can't believe that you're even thinking of asking her to do this," Remus scolded his friend.

"I'm not. You're going to ask her," Sirius said with a grin.

"Me? Why me?" asked Remus.

"Because she'll probably do it for you," Sirius replied.

"But why would I want her to do this?" Remus asked.

"'Cause you're a nice guy and you want to help the new lady professor," Sirius smiled.

"Oh." Remus hesitated for a minute. "I guess it would make things easier for her if she had something really interesting for her first set of classes."

"Exactly." Sirius directed Remus into the infirmary.

Lorien was preparing a fresh batch of Freloux's elixir when Sirius and Remus walked in together. Steam was rising from the cauldron she had set up and she was busy grinding morphia pods to a powder at the table and didn't see them.

Sirius cleared his throat and she looked up.

"What can I do for the two of you?" She smiled but continued to work.

Sirius elbowed Remus when Lorien looked away for a minute.

"Lorien I...that is _we_...have something we need to talk to you about," Remus began.

Lorien nodded. "Please, don't mind me. I've got to keep this going. This is the last ingredient." She indicated the potion she was working on. "What is it?" she asked.

"We need a favor," he said.

"Sure. What do you need?" Lorien asked him.

"It's a big favor," Sirius chimed in.

"Ok." She was curious now.

Remus told her about Marlina's dilemma with her first classes.

"I see. So how do I fit into all of this?" Lorien wondered what Sirius wanted as a favor when she saw the gleam in his eye.

"We thought it would make a good impression on the students for her if her first class was on dragon handling," Sirius said.

"You must be joking." Lorien's head snapped up from what she was doing.

"Nope." Sirius shook his head.

"You mean you want me to....?" Lorien hesitated.

"Yes. Please Lorien. I think it would really help her settle in if she got off to a good start," Remus jumped back in.

"This was your idea?" she asked, as she cast the last increment of morphia powder into the cauldron.

"Yes," he lied.

"What does Marlina think?" she asked as she checked the red color of the potion.

"She thinks it's cool. I'm not sure she's convinced we're really going to be able to get her a dragon, though," Remus replied.

Lorien realized that if Remus and Sirius managed to pull this off it would be a great way for Marlina to see just what a nice person Remus was. She looked from one to the other several times and then decided. "Ok. I'll do it." She smiled at him.

"Excellent. Are you done?" Sirius indicated the cauldron.

"Yes, finished." Lorien nodded.

"Good, come with us," he said.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You need practice acting like a dragon," he said as he grabbed her hand and dragged her along with him and Remus.

Lorien looked like the perfect specimen of a turquoise dragon, but the problem was she didn't act like one, and Sirius, Remus and she spent the rest of the day reading up on dragon habits and behavior. They moved outside beyond the quidditch field so they wouldn't be seen when Lorien transformed, and Sirius critiqued her performance as she pretended to be intent on savaging Remus the dragon handler.

"That's much better you two," Sirius finally said when he felt they were at the point Lorien was convincing. "Now we move on."

Remus and the dragon looked at him. "Move on?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes, flying lessons."

The dragon's eyes went wide and then Lorien was walking rapidly toward Sirius. "Flying? You didn't say anything about flying."

"Dragons fly, Lorien. Marlina's going to expect to you try," Remus admitted.

She groaned. "I don't know, I'm not sure that I'm ready."

"You can do it. We'll be with you," Sirius encourage her. "Let's at least give it a go."

"Fine," Lorien pouted.

Lorien just wasn't used to coordinating two wings in addition to four limbs, and found that she was having a terrible time getting airborne from the ground. It didn't help that Sirius and Remus were leaning against each other laughing as she floundered in her attempts.

She gave them an angry dragon snarl and changed back. "You two are NOT helping," she snarled again.

"Lorien, I'm sorry. I know you're trying." Remus was wiping tears from his eyes as Sirius stifled a last snicker.

"Look, it's getting dark. Let's just skip the flying, shall we?" Lorien was frustrated.

Sirius spoke up. "I have one more idea, if you're willing to try it. Remus, you go tell Marlina to meet us later in that courtyard. Lorien and I are going to try this one more time."

"Ok." Remus stepped close to Lorien. "Thank you for doing this." He kissed her on the cheek and left.

"Come on, let's go." Sirius tugged on Lorien's sleeve.

"Where to?" she asked as she followed him.

"You'll see," he said.

Lorien decided that she would tell Sirius about Marlina as they walked. "Sirius, I think that it's actually a good thing that you and Remus are helping Marlina. She needs to see what a great person he is."

"Why is that?" he asked.

"She hates werewolves." Lorien related the story Marlina had told her about how her husband had been killed when they worked for the Werewolf Capture Unit.

Sirius nodded solemnly. "I'm glad you told me. I don't think we should tell Remus just yet though. This'll be good for both of them if they find out they can work well together before they know each others past."

Lorien nodded in agreement as they neared the castle. "Where are we going, anyway?"

He winked at her. "You and I have a date this evening in the astronomy tower."

A look of horror crossed Lorien's face. "You can't possibly expect...."

Sirius nodded but found that he had to coax Lorien the rest of the way.

"No way." Lorien turned away from the stairs and started back down the hall, and Sirius tried to grab her by the arm.

"Come on, Lorien. We need to try this." He missed his grip, and Lorien quickened her pace.

Sirius caught up to her in three quick steps and grabbed her around the waist. "Nothing to be afraid of."

"I know, because I'm not...." A struggle ensued and Lorien found her self over powered by the taller wizard. "Hey!" she yelled as Sirius began to half carry and half drag her back to the stairs.

"Sirius!" she cried.

He ignored her and kept walking.

"Sirius!" Lorien dug her heels in, but to no avail.

"It'll be good.... for you.... to do this!" He grunted as he dragged her into the stairwell.

Her fingers gripped the door frame, halting his progress. "I am not throwing myself out of.....ahhh!" She cried out as she lost her grip when Sirius yanked harder.

"Don't be such a chicken," he said as he flung her toward the stairs.

"Chicken? Who are you calling chicken?" She turned on him indignantly.

He gripped her shoulders and turned her back up the stairs. "March."

The wind was blowing steadily as Lorien and Sirius emerged into the top platform of the astronomy tower.

"The way I see it," he began," it might be easier to kind of coast after you're already off the ground. At least to start with."

Lorien could see his point but looked over the edge reluctantly as he drew near her. "You can do it, Lorien," he said as he placed his hands on her arms.

She looked up at him. "I'm scared, Sirius."

He looked into her eyes and nodded. He knew that this would be good for her, as well as potentially helping to make things better for the two professors, but could understand her reluctance after her previous crash.

"Lorien, I promise it will be ok." He spoke reassuringly and drew her to him in a comforting embrace.

Ariel Sinistra had noticed the noises coming from the stairway and decided to investigate. She wanted to make sure that there weren't any students up it the tower unsupervised. The heavens knew what they'd be doing up there.

As she neared the top she could see that someone had indeed left the door to the top platform open, and she crept closer to the door as she heard voices. Her eyes narrowed as she realized that one of the voices belonged to Lorien.

"Her, again?" Sinistra snarled under her breath, but eased closer to spy on what was being said. Whoever she was talking to didn't sound like Lupin, and it certainly wasn't Snape. Most of the Hogwarts staff by now knew about Lorien and Remus, and a few of them, like Sinistra and Sprout, knew about Severus. The dark haired woman strained to hear what was being said.

"You can do it, Lorien," a man's voice said.

"I'm scared, Sirius," said Lorien.

So it was Sirius Black. Sinistra listened further.

"Lorien, I promise it'll be ok. You know it's what's best for you, and it'll be better for both of them," Black said.

Sinistra couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I know you're right. I have to do this. It'll make things easier on them later. I just don't want to see either of them get hurt," Lorien replied.

"You should just get it over with. You know I'll be with you, sweetheart," Black said softly.

The Astronomy professor risked a furtive peek past the doorway and gasped as she saw Lorien in Sirius's arms. She ducked back and ran down the stairs as quietly as she could.

Lorien pulled away from the reassuring hug Sirius had given her. "I'm ready. Thanks for being such a good friend. To me and to him."

"Alright, alright. Don't go to emotional pieces on me," Black teased her. "Ready?"

Lorien smiled at him. "Ready," she said as she took the hand he offered her to climb up on the wall.

The small blue-green dragon perched on the stone wall staring over the edge for a long moment, and tentatively flapped her wings a few times.

"You're stalling," Sirius scolded her.

The dragon narrowed her eyes at him and snorted. A small puff of smoke billowed up in front of her nostrils.

Finally Lorien put the thoughts of her dive off the Ministry at Halloween aside. This would be nothing like that. She was in control and had all the time in the word. All she had to do was glide.

Sirius saw the small dragon take a last deep breath and launch herself off the astronomy tower wall. He thought his heart stopped as she fell for just a second like a large stone, but then caught herself when she spread the blue-green wings and glided neatly in an arc to a perfect four point landing in the dark below.

When Lorien called back up to him he could hear the laughter in her voice. "Better?"

"Excellent!" he called back. "Come on back up."

It took Lorien several minutes to make it back inside and all the way up the tower again.

"Ok, I think I've got it. I'm going to try staying up longer this time." She sounded excited.

"Thatta girl." Sirius gave her a hand up again and she transformed, launching herself almost immediately this time. She glided down and around and then the great wings beat mightily and she climbed in the air to the height of the tower again. She amused herself hovering in the air just in front of Sirius.

"OK, ok. Quit showing off." Sirius scolded her but was obviously pleased as he watched her move slightly up and down with each downward thrust of her wings. "I'll meet you at the bottom."

The dragon circled the dark sky once more and then flew to land beside Sirius when she saw him round the corner of the castle.

"Ok. Now once more. See if you can get off the ground," he suggested.

The dragon pushed off with all four feet as the wings stirred up a strong breeze around Sirius, and she found that she could indeed get airborne if she flapped very hard.

"Excellent. Now let's call it good. You've got to be rested for tomorrow," he advised her.

Lorien walked to him from where the dragon had landed. "Coolest thing in the world, Sirius." She smiled.

Marlina wasn't sure if Remus and Sirius were just about the most helpful men she had ever met or if they were just plain nuts. She knew that she would know in a few minutes as she walked to the little used courtyard they had asked her to meet them in.

Sirius and Remus looked over at her as she entered the dark courtyard and walked to where they obviously had a very large cage covered with a large cloth. She began to wonder if the two of them were playing some sort of joke on her.

"So, is that it? she asked, pointing to the covered cage.

"Sure is." Lupin's smile looked genuine.

"Yeah, well if you two think you're pulling some sort of joke on the new teacher, let me just say that..." Her mouth dropped open when Sirius and Remus yanked the cover off the cage. She didn't think they would really pull it off, and a broad smile crept slowly across her face as the dragon snapped its head around to stare at her with menacing gold eyes and snarled at her.

"You really did it." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"I can't believe you ever doubted us," Sirius pouted and then smiled at the witch.

"I'll know better the next time." Marlina circled the large cage looking the animal over while it circled with her, a low menacing rumble coming from it the whole time. "She's gorgeous," Marlina said with admiration.

Remus winked at the dragon. "Yeah, I guess she is." He smiled.

Marlina stood quietly eyeing the beast in front of her for a long moment and then suddenly turned back to the two men. "You have no idea how much this helps. I don't know how you did this - maybe I don't want to know, but thank you so much. It's the nicest thing anyone's done for me in a long time." She reached up and kissed Sirius on the cheek, and then stepped next to the Defense professor.

The dragon perked its head up. She knew just what that tone of voice meant and the golden eyes narrowed as she watched Marlina kiss Remus on the cheek as well.

Marlina and Remus had to jump suddenly out of the way as the dragon let go a short brilliant blast of flame at the ground next to them.

"Ho! She's a feisty one! This is going to be great," Marlina laughed.

Remus glanced at the dragon for a second , and then went back to Marlina. "Here, we'll help you get the retaining charm in place over the courtyard for tomorrow."

Lorien saw the way Sirius had raised an eyebrow at her, and blinked innocently at him before he went to help the others. The dragon curled itself up in it's cage and watched the three of them secure the courtyard. She wasn't sure how she felt about what had just happened.

Monday afternoon, as the dragon's chin slammed into the dust firmly for the third class that day, Lorien was sure that this was one of the worst things she had ever agreed to. She was noosed and cross tied with charmed ropes around her neck as Marlina was showing the sixth years how to get control of a dragon's head first and then the tail and legs. She stepped in quickly after handing off a rope to each of the Weasley twins and cast the charm that would hold the dragon's mouth closed long enough for her to get close to the head.

Lorien had just about had enough as Marlina bound her snout shut again with some awful muggle stuff she called 'duck tape'. She tried to swat at the witch with her tail in earnest, but was held fast from doing so by two more of the G6 students on the ropes behind her. Finally, as she found her legs hindered by a shackling charm for the third time that afternoon, Lorien settled for glaring at the woman with the low growl rumbling in her chest again.

Once the dragon was under control, Marlina had allowed the students forward in pairs to examine and evaluate the dragon's condition.

Lee Jordan ran his hand along the growling animals ribs a second time. "I dunno. Do you think she's a little fat?" he asked.

The dragon thrashed violently and tried to pull her head away from Fred and George. 'You little twit, I'll show you who's fat,' Lorien thought in her head.

"No, Lee. This one is in excellent condition," Professor Perkins replied.

'Well, that's a little better,' Thought Lorien.

"Everyone had a chance?" Marlina looked around the group. "Good. Ok, lets give the old girl a rest."

'Old girl?' Lorien thought as Marlina stepped close with her wand. The dragon narrowed its eyes.

"Ok," she said as she pointed it at the tape. "On three....One....two....three!"

She caused the tape to split apart the same instant all the students cast the releasing charms on the ropes, and the dragon shook itself free. It glared at her once and then ran predictably to take a defensive stance back in the enclosure. Marlina cast the spell that slammed the door closed.

All the students, including Fred and George agreed it was the coolest Creature class they had ever had as they left the courtyard that afternoon.

Marlina regarded the dragon a short distance away from the enclosure thoughtfully. "You've done me a heck of a favor, pretty girl. I don't know how they found you, but I'm glad they did," she said cheerfully.

The dragon listened quietly from the back of the cage.

"Well, I'll be back to bring you some dinner in a little while. Got to keep your strength up for tomorrow, right love?"

Marlina walked away as the dragon's head slumped dejectedly to the ground.

There were three more upper level classes tomorrow.

A/N: You'll notice that Professor Sinistra now has a first name - Ariel. She's named after one of the moons of Uranus, that takes its name from 'The Tempest'.

**Challenge update! Ctina is the first one to reply with "I've Strayed Off to the Side"

.?storyid=1015452

Go read it! It has Vampires and Drinking and Mimes, Oh my! And of course the infamous Mrs. Cat Tasy-Snape and her enchanted toaster, Roberta. Yes that's right, toaster! Any of you that know Ctina's brand of humor will be scared that I let her put Cat and Sirius in the same story. :D


	8. Aurors and Fizzing Whizbees

A/N: Merlin! I'll tell you, I think I've brought Marlina Perkins in just in time. We now have a white owl, a giant pink squid, a turquoise dragon, a large black dog, a large gray wolf, an orange hippo, and a half dozen dirty elephants running around this place.

Haven - How many pen names do you use?

Readerw - welcome aboard, just watch where you step around here.

C Queen - Thanks for the reviews of the other two stories as well.

Aurors and Fizzing Whizzbies ~*~

Kaneene Moody was looking forward to working with her bother and four cousins again. The six of them were very close and she enjoyed spending time with them, and besides, there was no one else, with the exception of maybe her uncle, that she would want covering her back. Brandon, Dunstan, Evan, and Dixon Moody were with their older female cousin while she waited impatiently for her brother Keath.

"Hey." Keath walked up to the group slightly out of breath.

"Hey, yourself. You're late," Kaneene grumbled.

"Only five minutes. Are we ready?" Keath asked, ignoring the looks he was getting.

"We've been ready," Evan grumbled as well.

"Ok, let's just get going," said Kaneene, and the six aurors disapparated together.

Sirius waited patiently near the entrance to the castle while he leaned back against the wall casually, arms folded and one foot braced back against the stone. It was cold but the sun was shining, and that was all he cared about. It could get as hot or as cold as it wanted as long as he had sun or at least the open sky around him.

He scanned the grounds again and saw that the group he had been waiting for was now making its way across the grounds from where they had apparated in the distance. Sirius leaned off the wall and walked out to meet the Moody clan half way.

"Good afternoon to you all," he said in his most charming manner. A chorus of hello's greeted him.

"Black." The eldest auror acknowledged him with a nod and a small smile. "Good to see you again," she said as she fell in next to him to walk to the castle.

"How are you, Kaneene?" Sirius asked pleasantly.

"Fine, thanks," she replied.

"And you, Keath? Fully recovered I take it?" Sirius asked.

"Completely." The youngest Moody grinned back at the black haired man.

Kaneene became all business. "So tell me the deal here. Headquarters says we're to report to the head of security. I didn't know Hogwarts had a head of security," she said.

"It does now." Sirius grinned. "You're looking at him."

"You?" Kaneene asked incredulously.

"What's wrong with that?" Sirius asked in a somewhat hurt tone.

"Well, nothing I guess. I just wasn't expecting..."

"That they'd hire an ex-con?" Sirius sounded a little hurt.

"Don't even give me that crap, Sirius. You know that's not what I meant." She gave him a backhanded slap in the arm and then changed the subject. "Tell me a little more about why we're here."

Sirius explained the situation. "We're worried about retaliation from our friends at the Halloween party. Dumbledore wants to make sure that the school will prove to be a difficult target."

"I thought it was anyway," Keath commented.

"Yes, but the stakes are getting higher. He's concerned about the safety of the entire staff and all the students of course, but he's especially worried about Harry Potter and those of us that were at the ministry that night. To top it all off, Lorien is Nemorosi and it looks like Voldemort has it out for them as well."

"I heard about that. You know that they killed another witch this week?" Kaneene asked.

"No." Sirius wondered if Lorien did.

Evan spoke up from behind the three. "So it's going to be our job to patrol and secure the grounds, is it?"

"Yes. We've set up living arrangements for you in the castle. The library, kitchen and house elves of course will be at your disposal, and if there's anything else at all that you need just see me," answered Sirius.

"Good. If you can show us where we'll be staying, I'd like to make a thorough inspection of the castle and the grounds after," Kaneene informed him.

Sirius led them to the rooms that he had indicated. "Let me know if there's anything else you need, Kaneene." He turned to leave.

"Oh. There is one thing," she said.

Sirius looked back at her.

"A map," Kaneene told him.

"Sorry?" Sirius answered.

"A map, Black. I mean we all know the basic layout, but if we had a really good map of the castle it would really help," she explained.

Black shrugged. "I'll see what I can do." He smiled to himself as he walked away.

Harry, Ron and Hermione noticed the two aurors walk past them in the hall, obviously engaged in serious conversation.

"What was that?" asked Ron.

"Extra security," Harry replied. "Sirius says there will be a half dozen aurors on the grounds at all times now."

"Boy, things must be getting bad. First they tell us no outings to Hogsmeade, then no quidditch. Now we're going to have aurors crawling the school?" Ron complained.

"I'm sure it's only if Dumbledore feels it's absolutely necessary," said Hermione.

"Yeah," Harry added. "Sirius says they don't really think Voldemort will try a direct assault on the school, but he wants to play it safe. Evidently the teachers will be patrolling the halls a lot more too."

"Just great," said Ron. "Like we don't have enough to worry about with Filch and that damn cat."

"Ron," Hermione scolded, "it's for your own good."

"Yeah, I guess. It's just..." Ron quieted for a minute as two more aurors went by the trio. "Did you see that?"

"What?" Harry and Hermione asked.

"That auror was a woman," Ron said.

"So?" Hermione looked sternly at Ron.

"I just never thought about aurors as women before," he admitted.

"You've never thought about a lot of things," Hermione chided him.

Harry headed off further discussion along those lines. "Hey, Sirius says all six of the aurors are Moodys."

"As in Mad-eye Moody?" Ron asked.

"The same ones at the ministry at Halloween?" asked Hermione.

"Evidently," he said to them both.

"Well, I for one am glad they're here. It'll be a lot safer for everyone," she said.

"Hopefully," said Harry.

Ariel Sinistra didn't know Lorien Desjardins very well, but she did know one thing: she didn't like her.

The Slytherin astronomy professor hadn't cared for the blonde witch from not long after she'd met her, although it had little to do with the younger of the two Hogwarts healers herself, and much to do with her relationship with Remus Lupin.

Sinistra had been watching those first few weeks to see if there was anything to the fact that they had been spending time together, and would have come to the conclusion that there wasn't until the night she had found them together in the tower. They really hadn't been doing anything, but she could tell from the way they reacted that she had walked in on something.

It normally wouldn't have been a big deal except for the fact that Sinistra had tried desperately to get Lupin's attention unsuccessfully two years ago when he had first come to teach at Hogwarts. He never noticed. It wasn't that he wasn't nice to her, he was nice to everybody; he just didn't think of her in that way.

It had only taken him a few weeks to think of Lorien in that way, and it bothered Ariel to no end for several months.

Then the plot thickened and Sprout had filled her in on the possible affair starting with the Potions master. Sinistra had hoped that Lupin would find out and end the relationship, but instead both men were ridiculously waiting for her to pick and choose between them. 'What fools,' thought Sinistra.

But now things had become even more complicated, and Sinistra saw her chance to make things difficult for Lorien.

"You greedy Ravenclaw slut. You just couldn't help throwing yourself at Black too, could you?" Sinistra talked to herself as her Slytherin mind was at work about how she had seen Lorien in Black's arms in the romantic tower setting. "Well, it's time that all that running around with other men caught up with you, love."

She didn't know she was mistaken, but it probably wouldn't have mattered if she did, and Ariel pondered the best way to make life difficult for Lorien. He first instinct was to go to Remus, but then a thought occurred to her. Remus would never believe that his best friend had done anything wrong, but Sinistra knew that Severus would. She smiled to herself wickedly as she decided that the best way to give Lorien problems was to go to Snape and tell him that while he waited for her to make up her mind, she had selected a third candidate.

She just couldn't wait to see the look on his face when she told him the woman he obviously liked had been in the tower in the arms of Sirius Black.

The clan of Moody aurors set up housekeeping at Hogwarts and had walked the grounds and the halls repeatedly, often with Sirius accompanying them. For the past few nights they had started patrolling the grounds in pairs, but not a hint of anything had been found amiss so far.

Sirius had decided that he'd go out that night to speak to Kaneene and Keath, who were on duty, as to whether or not there was anything else they needed. He found them not far from the whomping willow.

"Hey," he called to them casually.

"Hello, Sirius." Keath looked up first.

"Evening, Sirius," his sister said.

"How's everything going?" Black asked them.

"So far so good. Nothing out of the ordinary to speak of," said Kaneene.

"Let's hope it stays that way," said Sirius.

"Keath, will you go an check things over by the lake again? I'll catch up in just a minute," Kaneene said to her younger brother.

"Sure." The younger auror left, smiling to himself as he went. They'd just left the lake. His sister obviously wanted to talk to Black alone, and Keath decided to wait until later to harass her about it.

Sirius was quiet for a minute and then finally spoke. "He looks good, Kaneene."

"I know. Acts like nothing ever happened," she said quietly.

"He was very lucky," Sirius said.

"The medical staff didn't know how he even managed to survive long enough to get to the hospital." She sighed. "At least he got a chance."

Sirius looked at the dark haired woman. "I never really thanked you for giving me a chance."

"Give, nothing. It was plain as day you were framed the moment I set eyes on that.....rat. I'm just sorry that we're going to get the chance to kick his little furry ass again." She was smiling.

Sirius laughed. "I'm looking forward to it actually."

"Yeah, well I might conveniently look the other way this time if you happen to be the one to get your hands on him." She smiled still but Sirius could see there was something in her eyes that told him she might not be joking.

Black gave her his most charming smile. "You know, you're alright for an auror."

"What do you mean, 'for an auror'?" she asked, eyes narrowed a little.

"You aurors don't have a good track record in my book," he said slyly.

She gave him the same look back as he started to walk away. "Well, we'll just have to see about changing that."

He kept walking backwards as he continued talking. "I think you're going to have to work pretty hard at making up for all those bad feelings I have about the law," he called to her.

She smiled and walked away herself. "We'll see how hard I have to work, Sirius Black," she said under her breath.

Marlina was walking with Noah toward the front entrance of the castle that weekend, when Noah suddenly called out excitedly.

"Look, Mom! It's Sirius and Remus." He ran to where the two men were coming from the adjoining hallway.

"Hi Sirius. Hi Remus," Noah said excitedly.

"Good morning, Noah," said the two together.

All three walked back to Marlina together.

"Good morning," said Remus.

"How is the coolest professor at Hogwarts this week?" Sirius teased.

"Excellent thanks to you two." Marlina smiled warmly at the two men. "You got the dragon back with her keeper ok?"

Remus nodded with a grin. "It's like she never left her."

"You're not going to tell me how you did it, are you?" Marlina asked.

He shook his head. "Nope. Defense professor secrets."

"I see," she said.

"We're going to Hogsmeade!" Noah chimed in, not wanting to be left out.

"Now?" asked Sirius.

"Yes, I promised Noah. You don't think it's a problem if I take him, do you?" she asked.

"Probably not," Sirius replied. "It just might be better if you didn't go alone."

"We could go with you," offered Remus. "We're free at the moment."

"Yes! Can they go with us, Mom?" Noah asked excitedly.

"That would be great," she said with a thankful smile. It made her feel better to have someone else along even though it probably wasn't necessary.

Noah would not be still as the foursome walked into Hogsmeade. All he knew was that this was where the legendary candy store that his mother had told him about was.

"Can we get candy first?" he asked almost immediately.

"We'll get some in a few minutes. Let's look around a little," Marlina said to her excited child.

Noah waited about five minutes while the adults were talking. "Can we get some now?" He repeated the request.

"You're not going to rest until you get into that store, are you?" Marlina said with a sigh. "Alright, I guess we can walk to the other end first."

Sirius spoke up. "I'll walk down with him, Marlina. You take your time." He turned to Lupin. "Will you keep an eye on things here if I walk to Honeydukes with Noah?" he asked in a very official sounding way.

"Absolutely, sir," Remus replied in the same manner.

"Noah, I'm going to Honeydukes. Would you mind keeping me company?" Sirius asked the boy.

"Yes!" Noah ran along beside the tall Gryffindor as they headed for the end of the street.

Marlina laughed a little.

"What?" Remus asked her as they walked.

"If someone ever told me a few months ago that I would let Sirius Black take my child to the candy store, I would have suggested that they were in need of serious medical attention," she told him.

"Funny how your perspective on things can change, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes, it is," she agreed.

"So, I need to ask you something," Remus said seriously to the woman walking beside him.

"Yes, Remus?" She looked at him as they walked.

"What's with the hat?" he teased.

"What, this?" She indicated the Aussie style safari hat perched on her head. "Just an old throwback to my days at the zoo. I guess I just like it," she admitted. "Why, what's wrong with my hat?"

"Nothing," he said.

"You don't like my hat, do you?" she accused him with a smile.

"No, I like your hat fine, Marlina," he replied.

"Ok. Here, prove it." She took her hat off.

Remus looked at the woman as she shook out a thick mane of deep red hair, and then caught himself before she could see that he was staring at her.

"Here." She presented him the hat.

"What's that for?" he asked, realizing that he was getting himself into trouble.

"Put it on," she said.

"Marlina, really. I don't think..." he began.

"You're hurting my feelings," she pouted.

Remus sighed. If Sirius saw him...

"Give me the hat." He finally agreed and saw her expression brighten as he placed it on top of his own head for about two seconds. "There." He tried to hand it back.

"I need to get a really good look." She was enjoying this.

Remus relented and put the hat on his head.

Marlina looked at him appraisingly. "Not bad, Professor Lupin. I think it suits you."

"I'm sure I look ridiculous." Remus was pouting now.

"No, really. It actually looks good on you," she said in earnest.

"You're joking, of course," he said.

"Not at all. You look, I don't know.....cute," she replied.

"Great." Remus rolled his eyes.

"Not like puppy-cute. I mean like..." Marlina suddenly stopped. "I'm sorry." She laughed. "I'm embarrassing us both."

Remus wanted to say something else, but at that moment he heard Sirius returning. "Hey, nice hat!"

Remus groaned. "I'm dead now that he's seen me in this hat you know."

Marlina was amused by his plight.

"Very sexy, Professor Lupin." Sirius walked up to him with Noah, each with a large bag of treats from the candy store.

Remus started to take the hat off.

"Oh, don't take it off on my account. You just look, so... dashing." Sirius was relentless.

"Are you quite finished?" Remus asked stiffly.

"Maybe. Come on, Noah, I'll show you all the cool places." He continued walking as Noah tagged along.

Remus finally was able to give the hat back to Marlina.

"So now I have a question for you, Remus," she said.

"What?" he asked, looking where Sirius was walking.

"How did you get to be friends with a guy like that?" she asked with a curious smile.

"It's a long story," he sighed.

"You'll have to tell it to me sometime," she said.

He looked at her and smiled. "Ok. But only if I get to wear the hat."

**Challenge update

GryfinndorSeeker has had a go at the challenge with very amusing results. It's called 'Remus Lupin's Bad Day.' It's got howlers, billywigs, and an inebriated Draco. Go have a look! .?storyid=1017313


	9. Rumor's Aftermath

A/N : deSevera - why don't you stop beating around the bush and express yourself as to how you really feel about Sirius Black? *snerk* ;)  
  
Desdemona- Welcome to the chapter of the big decision. Yes, I said decision.  
  
Telani - *smiles at the sparkles* Sirius seconds the flag and thinks it's about damn time someone got around to it.  
  
Draco-luver - I must ask that you pass out earplugs if you intend to light that thing off again. Sirius does seem rather fond of the dramatic display, though.  
  
Nightdweller - your review speaks in silken tones. "As if brewed by the Fabulous Severus himself..." my, my, my. But don't you think Mr. Potter might have something to say about the Charlieboy and Ginny flag?  
  
Jig - Remus has expressed sincere *ahem* academic interest in this bizarre muggle custom of sitting in a tree and kissing, and wonders if there is anyone out there *RJL looks pointedly at Jig* that might enlighten him further on the subject? For academic purposes of course.  
  
  
  
*** Special thanks to Antinua, aka Mistress of Constructive Criticism for beta-reading this very important chapter for me.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ok gang. I just decided to try something for a bit of different entertainment now that it's getting too cold in Maine for enchanted volleyball, and soon to be too cold for 3 on 3 Quidditch. (During which I stay decidedly on the sidelines with Lorien and Hermione) We needed something else with all these people coming and going. Alas, I made the mistake of introducing Remus and Sirius to the DVD player.  
  
Like most men, the remote control amuses them to no end, although they have charmed it somehow to summon butterbeer from the fridge as well as control the DVD player, the tv, and the surround sound system (not mine, and I still haven't gotten a straight answer as to where they acquired it).  
  
The real challenge has been taking them to the video store and trying to find something that everyone will watch. Especially if Severus gets involved. You know how had it is to get him to agree with anything Sirius wants?  
  
Friday we went to find something for a rainy night, and things went down hill the moment Sirius suggested Dracula with a smirk. Severus is sick of all the vampire insinuations and proceeded to pull The Fugitive off the shelf, and toss it at the dynamic duo along with The Howling. Nosferatu went sailing back across the aisle and we then had airborne copies of Escape from Alcatraz and Am Werewolf in London, and I barely managed to get there in time to keep wands from being drawn.  
  
You've got to be downright tough with these wizards to keep them in line, and I had to threaten them all that I would make them sit through several episodes of Barney if they didn't stop it.  
  
It worked. It usually does.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rumor's Aftermath ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien was exhausted and couldn't have been happier that it was the weekend. Not that it ever made much difference in the number of cases she had to see, but at least the Care of Magical Creatures segment on dragon care was over.  
  
She must have hit the dirt twenty times over the course of the week and her back and shoulders ached in weird places from flapping her wings so much when she struggled.  
  
She did have to admit that Marlina looked very happy and that the classes had all gone very well, at least from everyone else's point of view. And of course, Marlina was thrilled with how Remus had helped save the day.  
  
Lorien laughed at herself as she sat in her rooms, for the slightly jealous feelings that she was experiencing, and thought of what Remus had been through on her account. How jealous had he felt? How hurt? Lorien had to admit he had been through a lot, and felt guilt welling up inside her for the fiftieth time when she considered it. More and more when she thought of Remus she felt intense guilt. She knew she had put Severus through the same ordeal, but somehow the guilt concerning Remus was greater.  
  
Lorien considered her feelings for Remus, and wondered about the things that she found difficult to cope with. Wasn't he was a little overprotective for her liking?  
  
She frowned. If Severus killing Ian Fincastle didn't count as being overprotective, she didn't know what did.  
  
Lorien disliked the fact that Remus had acted so possessive the night he confronted Severus, but she wondered if they couldn't work through that. The man had a good reason, after all, and she realized she couldn't really blame him since he cared so much about her. How could she fault him for that? Besides, didn't she feel the same about him? She loved being with him. She always was laughing when she was with him, and she always felt cared for. Whenever she was with him she felt secure, and he always made her feel as if everything was going to be alright.  
  
Could she say the same about Severus? He didn't seem like the type to take care of someone if they needed it, and she had the sneaking suspicion that the man could be more than a little possessive himself. And as far as feeling secure? That was the last thing she ever felt with him. She was always on edge when he was near her, a little wary, a little afraid. She had to face it - she thought the man was downright dangerous.  
  
'In more than one way.' She reminded herself, thinking of how he'd nearly seduced her before Halloween. Lorien remembered that night in her rooms when she'd nearly given in.  
  
No. She had given in. It was Severus that walked away.  
  
She'd been so confused, so frustrated, so guilty after the confrontation with Remus in the hospital wing, and then there was Severus, lying in wait for her at her door. He'd had the audacity to follow her into her own rooms and then throw the obvious attraction between them in her face, and then he'd had the nerve the next moment to make that attraction apparent. Very apparent.  
  
Lorien closed her eyes as she remembered how frightened she'd felt with him that close to her. How nervous, how vulnerable, and how helpless he'd made her feel. She'd felt like everything was out of her control and it made her feel .....Merlin's wand!  
  
She'd liked it, hadn't she?  
  
Realization threw her into turmoil as she saw that she'd also felt enthralled, thrilled....excited. Damn! She began to wonder if she didn't like the fact that he was dangerous. Did she? Maybe she did. Maybe she liked the fact that he was difficult, unpredictable, complex......not safe.  
  
It occurred to Lorien why she wasn't able to sum up the way she felt when she was with Severus in one word for Perth. There was no way. It was just too complicated. He made her feel too many things all at once. He made her feel too many things, period.  
  
The fact that he'd been a Death Eater, a dark wizard, certainly scared her, but almost losing him that night of the ambush had scared her more. She'd thought she'd lost him a second time on Halloween, and as she searched her heart in that moment, remembering how she'd felt when she'd found out he was alive, she realized she didn't want to lose him again. She couldn't.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien knocked quietly at the door to Remus's rooms and heard him answer for her to come in. She glanced around the room as she entered and saw that he was thankfully alone.  
  
"Hi." She said quietly. She went to stand close to where he was seated on the couch, a book about dealing with the undead in one hand.  
  
Remus closed the book he was holding, and smiled up at her. "Hi. Recovered from class yet?" He asked.  
  
Lorien scowled at him. "Very funny. You got a real kick out of watching that last class, didn't you?" She said, hands on hips. She hoped she didn't look half as nervous as she felt.  
  
He set the book down and laughed a little. "I'll admit it was kind of fun to see you gagged and bound." Remus teased her.  
  
Lorien smiled a bit uneasily at Remus, wondering how she was ever going to say what she had come to tell him. "Marlina was happy with the way things worked out?" She asked. She could feel how rapid her own pulse was, and she chewed her lip nervously as she stood there.  
  
"Thrilled." Remus replied. "She thinks Sirius and I walk on water now." The smile he wore was slowly being replaced by a look of concern. He knew her well enough to know that something was wrong.  
  
"Good." Lorien became very quiet.  
  
It only took Remus a moment to realize what she had come to talk to him about. He patted the couch next to him. "Here. Sit while we talk." He said quietly.  
  
She sat next to him and looked into his soft gray eyes for a long moment, struggling to find a way to begin. She was already fighting back tears.  
  
He took her hands in his, and could feel her fingers trembling. "It's ok, Lorien. I already know." He said gently.  
  
"What?" She asked, quietly surprised.  
  
"Your decision. I know." He repeated.  
  
She could see in his eyes that what he said was true. He knew.  
  
"How could you? I didn't know myself until today." She was obviously surprised at what he'd just said.  
  
He smiled bravely at her. "I've known for a while." He said quietly. "I guess when I saw the look in your eyes that night in the hospital the moment you saw he was alive, I knew you loved him." He hesitated for a moment and then swallowed hard. "I guess up to now I was just hoping it wouldn't really be true."  
  
Lorien broke down at that moment and started crying. "Remus, I never ever meant to hurt you. You know I love you too."  
  
He reached out and pulled her to him. "I know, and I love you, Lorien." He wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly with tears in his own eyes as well.  
  
Lorien was overwhelmed with emotion at that moment. Sadness and guilt washed over her as the tears streamed down her face, and she leaned into him as he held her. "Remus, I'm so sorry." It came out in a choked whisper. "I'm so sorry I hurt you." She sobbed.  
  
"Shhh.....it's alright." He said gently as he pulled her head against his shoulder and stroked her hair. "It's going to be alright." He said, voice soft but unsteady, and tears on his own cheeks unseen by Lorien as she sobbed against his robes. His heart had been breaking a little at a time since his realization of her feelings for the other man, and the remnants were falling apart now that she'd said the words - now that he saw what it was doing to her as well. He held her tighter, trying desperately to make one of them, at least, feel the tiniest bit better.  
  
Lorien felt even guiltier for relying on him now, but it had taken all the courage she had to be able to come to him this night, and now she needed his to help them get through what she knew had to come next. Desperately she clung to him, wanting to feel the safety of his arms around her for one moment longer.  
  
Remus, at long last, when he felt her shaking lessen, took a deep breath and held her away from him a little. "Lorien." He finally spoke.  
  
"Yes?" She sobbed, wiping tears away.  
  
"You know I'll never hate you." He said softly.  
  
"I know, Remus." She said hoarsely. It was just like him to be worried about her even at a time like this. It took her a minute to be able to speak again. "Are you going to be ok?" She looked up at him.  
  
"Yes, in a while." He said, and then hesitated a bit. "Will we still be friends, Lorien? I need a little time to get used to the idea of us not being together, but I.....I don't want to lose you completely."  
  
She knew he must be wondering if she'd turn away from him altogether once in a relationship with the dark Slytherin, and she promised herself it would never happen. "Always." She said solemnly. "Remus?"  
  
"What, Lorien?" He asked, sounding as tired as he ever did after the night of the full moon.  
  
"Thank you." She said gratefully.  
  
"For what?" He asked with a weak smile.  
  
"For making what I had to tell you easier." She replied. "Thank you for caring about me so much," she said sincerely, "and for just being you."  
  
"I'm good at it." He joked, even as he wiped a last tear away, and she couldn't help but laugh a little even then. When could Remus not make her laugh?  
  
She wiped her eyes again and hugged him once more. "Good night, Remus." She kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Good night, Lorien." He gave her a brave smile before she left, and then she crossed the room to the door, opened it, and was gone.  
  
  
  
Remus watched her go and part of him felt a degree of relief. It was awful to see her leave, but the wait had been difficult and part of him was just glad it was over. The rest of him, however sat where he was on the couch until dawn, privately mourning the loss of the witch he had come to love.  
  
Lorien went back to her rooms that night. She was relieved as well and now part of her wanted nothing more than to go to find Severus, but she knew that she needed at least a little time for part of her to grieve for what she had just left behind. It just felt right to her to wait at least one night, and she sat in the dark by herself crying until she fell asleep alone in her sitting room.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was that very same evening that Ariel Sinistra found the opportunity had presented itself for her to strike up a conversation that she'd been meaning to have with Severus Snape. It was late and she was on her way down from an evening in the tower, when she heard his voice in the hallway up ahead. He was speaking sternly to a couple of students that had been out of their dormitory after hours and she listened to him snatch house points away from the unlucky Ravenclaws before he sent them scurrying frantically for their common room.  
  
He looked up at her as she rounded the corner.  
  
"Severus. I see you're being your usual charming self with those ladies." Sinistra said smoothly.  
  
"Ariel." He acknowledged her curtly and headed for the staircase to the dungeon. She fell in beside him.  
  
He looked sideways at her as she kept pace with him. "Something, you need, Professor?"  
  
"Now, Severus. Why do you assume that I want something FROM you?" She didn't give him a chance to reply. "Actually, there's something I have FOR you. If you're interested, that is."  
  
He glanced at her again. "I'm not in the mood for games, Ariel. Get to the point."  
  
They now stood outside his office.  
  
"Let's just say I have some news that you might be interested in." She said casually.  
  
"What news?" He asked in an irritated way.  
  
Sinistra looked at his office door and back at him. "Somewhere a little more private than the hallway?"  
  
"Fine." He opened the door and let her in. "Make it quick." He indicated the chair in front of his desk as he flung himself into the one behind it.  
  
She waited just a moment until she knew he was listening. "It's about your Ravenclaw witch." She began slowly, wanting to enjoy breaking the news to him.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Oh please, Severus. I'm not as blind as some of the others to what's been happening. You know me well enough to know better." She said in her own silky voice.  
  
"Fine, so you know. What news do you have?" He asked evenly.  
  
"I know that she's been having a grand time playing you and Lupin for fools." She smiled sweetly at him.  
  
Snape scowled at her but then his expression neutralized. "What would make you say that?" He asked, with mild disinterest.  
  
Sinistra smiled again. She knew in reality she had his full attention now. "Oh, just a little encounter I happened across the other evening."  
  
"Encounter?" He asked impatiently.  
  
She looked him steadily in the eye and spoke in a low even voice. "I don't believe that little blonde bitch intends to pick either one of you. I think she has a third option that looks more appealing to her at this point."  
  
Snape snorted. "What would make you think that?"  
  
"I KNOW that because I saw her with him the other night in the astronomy tower." She still spoke in silken tones, and knew that even though Snape kept his facial expression under control, something had darkened in his eyes.  
  
"And who would that be?" He asked.  
  
"Well, I was absolutely shocked when I walked into the tower." Sinistra savored the moment as long as she could while she got up from her chair. "Can you imagine how it felt when I got there and found her in the arms of Sirius Black?"  
  
Her own dark eyes glinted as she told him, and she could see the fire starting to burn in his. She placed both of her hands on his desk and leaned forward to speak to him in her most sincere voice.  
  
"Of course, I was stunned to see them together, and even more shocked when I heard what he said. Something like 'you know it's what's best for you and for both of them.' 'You should just get it over with' and 'you know I'll be with you, sweetheart'." Sinistra leaned back off his desk almost triumphantly as she delivered the final blow.  
  
Snape said nothing for a long moment, but his voice was low and dangerous when he did speak. "Thank you for the news, Ariel." He remained sitting at his desk.  
  
"I just thought you should know." She said sweetly.  
  
Sinistra closed the door behind her but hesitated outside for just another moment. Her patience was rewarded a minute later when the air was shattered by the sound of breaking glass. She smiled to herself in a most satisfied way and casually walked out of the dungeon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien was speaking to Poppy in the hospital wing the next morning when the sudden noise caused them to jump and look up. Both witches were surprised to see Snape nearly slam the door open and watched as he quickly crossed to where they were standing.  
  
Lorien looked at him in a concerned way. "Severus, what's wrong?"  
  
He looked at her in a way that almost scared her. "A word, Ms. Desjardins?" He spoke to her coldly and she felt his hand close on her arm near her elbow tightly as he ushered her somewhat roughly toward the door.  
  
When they were in the hall headed for her rooms, Lorien spoke up again. "Severus, what on earth is wrong with...ow!" She yelped a little as his grip suddenly tightened on her arm. "You're hurting me." She protested as he steered her to her door.  
  
"Inside!" He commanded as he flung her arm away from him.  
  
She glared back at him but opened the door with a word and started to go through. Evidently she didn't do so fast enough and he dragged her by the elbow once again into her sitting room and flung her arm away one more time.  
  
She whirled on him, furious at his behavior. "Just what do you think..."  
  
"Shut up." He advanced on her angrily.  
  
"What?" She gasped, unable to believe what he had just said.  
  
"You heard me. I said shut up." He said as he glared at her.  
  
Lorien found herself backpedaling at the next onslaught as the black robed figure loomed over her like a shadow and advanced on her.  
  
"I don't know exactly what it is you're playing at, Lorien, but I will tell you that I won't have it!" He had her cornered near the wine rack, cowering slightly as he raised his voice at her. "What kind of an idiot do you think I am?" He snarled at her and grabbed her.  
  
Lorien heard a small startled cry escape from her own lips as Severus grabbed her and his fingers dug into her arms mercilessly.  
  
"You think it's all a game? Is that it?" He yanked her off the wall again toward him. "Well, let me tell you something. You have made a very big mistake by toying with me." He snarled at her an inch from her face as she started to cry.  
  
"Don't even waste that on me, you lying bitch. I have no patience for your tears." He growled.  
  
Lorien was so shocked she stopped crying, but she was shaking badly now and Snape noticed.  
  
"Trembling are we? Scared? You ought to be after what you did!" He hissed as he pushed her away in disgust.  
  
Lorien tried to choke out a reply. "Severus, I don't know....."  
  
He turned on her again. "You know what you did! You're not an idiot, Lorien. How long did you think you were going to play me the way you did?"  
  
"What?" She asked incredulously.  
  
Snape continued on his rampage. "It was bad enough that I tolerated that bloody werewolf, idiot that I am, but this? Intolerable! I will not be taken for a fool any longer, Lorien. I promise you'll regret the moment you ever decided to include Sirius Black in this ridiculous mess!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" She asked in a desperate manner.  
  
"YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Snape struggled to stay in control. "I know about your little romance in the tower." He sneered.  
  
"Romance? With Sirius?" Lorien was astounded.  
  
He stared at her with fire blazing in his eyes at the thought.  
  
"What on earth ever gave you that idea?" She asked slowly, as she struggled to calm herself.  
  
"You deny being with him the other night?" Snape asked defiantly. "You deny being in his arms?"  
  
Lorien's mind raced to the hug Sirius had given her the other night. "No. I don't. I was with him." She said quietly. "You want to know why?"  
  
"Yes. Why don't you explain it for me?" Snape sneered at her again.  
  
"He was helping me get up the nerve to jump out of the tower." Lorien replied. "I told you that he's been helping me with the animagus transformation. I was practicing flying and I was afraid at first because of what happened at Halloween. He simply gave me a reassuring hug when I hesitated."  
  
Snape's voice lost a little of its edge. "Tell me he didn't call you 'sweetheart'."  
  
"He always does. Even in front of Remus. It's just his way of being affectionate, since we're friends." Lorien now peered closely at Snape. "How is it you know that Sirius called me sweetheart when he hugged me in the tower the other night, Severus?" She folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"Ariel saw you and came to tell me." He was starting to realize he was in deep trouble with the woman standing before him as he saw the way she was drumming her fingers on her elbow.  
  
Lorien watched him for a minute. "I see how little faith you have in me." She said very softly, throwing his own words back at him. She might as well have slapped him.  
  
Severus spoke very quietly to her. "I believe I owe you a great apology, Lorien."  
  
"Really? You think?" She asked sarcastically. "I mean just because you blew in here and nearly scared me to death? Just because you never gave a second thought to believing Sinistra? Just because you never bothered to ask me about it before you went insane about Sirius? Or because you called me a 'lying bitch'? You really think so?"  
  
"Lorien....." He started.  
  
"Get out, Severus." She said in a low, hollow voice. She looked away.  
  
"Now, Lorien....." Severus tried once more.  
  
When she looked back at him it was with tears of hurt and anger stinging her eyes. "Go!" She said hoarsely. "Just go.... just go." The tears were coming faster now.  
  
He stood there knowing he should do something, say something, but with no idea what, and so he finally decided that all he could do was what she asked of him. He turned away and was gone in the faintest rustle of black robes.  
  
  
  
Lorien leaned her back against the wall again, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. She sat there until her tears and her ragged breathing came under control.  
  
'Five minutes.' She thought. 'Five minutes ago I was planning on telling him tonight. Five minutes ago everything felt like it was falling into place, and now, everything couldn't be more wrong.'  
  
She sat there wounded, not knowing if these were injuries that would heal.  
  
  
  
  
  
Students scattered in sheer terror, trying to get out of the enraged potions master's path as Severus left the medical wing and returned to his own rooms, furious with himself.. He should have known better than to trust anything Sinistra had told him, but in this case he had been blinded by the thought of Lorien choosing that damn Black over himself. He might even have been able to stand it if she ended up with the werewolf, but not Black. He slammed the door closed as he realized his own blind rage had probably just cost him the very thing that he had been so upset about losing a few moments ago.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: About Lorien's decision - half of you knew it was coming, and the other half, like Remus, knew but were just hoping it wasn't really true.  
  
And did you think that I'd make things easy for Lorien just because she's finally decided? You should know me better than that by now. ;)  
  
**Challenge update - LadyCatBailey is the latest to offer her reply to the fiction challenge called "Moony, Padfoot, and Sevvi?" A most unwilling Severus is stuck going on a mission with Moony and Padfoot to hunt down Wormtail. Hop on over and read it! http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1025528 


	10. Dog and Dragon

A/N: It would appear from the reviews from last chapter that everyone had fun with it, even if they had been pulling for Remus. Excellent! I must tell you that it broke my heart to write the scene when Lorien gives him her decision, but only for a moment. He's in more trouble later since Sinistra will be back, and she'll definitely be up to no good.  
  
And let me tell you, the scene where Severus goes ballistic just couldn't have been any more fun to write.  
  
Falla - Welcome to AHN. Glad you liked the first story. Shame on you for reading fanfiction on company time. *smirk*  
  
PJG - if you've made it to AHN, thanks and welcome!  
  
deSevera - Sorry - I was teasing you. That comment about Black was meant to be facetious. I believe that it's quite clear just where your loyalties lie, my sister Slytherin. ;)  
  
nightdweller - Great! Now you've done it. Way to go mentioning 'strip twister' to Padfoot and Moony. They're still waiting for a suitable explanation. I suppose I shall just have to sacrifice a bit of typing time and..er..explain it to them. ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nytd sits at her computer after deciding that the story needs a glimpse at a DADA class, and types away while she concentrates.  
  
The door to her office flies open, and she is startled at first when Snape strides quickly across the room to stand near her desk. He obviously isn't happy, and Nytd watches as her copy of POA gets flung to the floor, followed by a shower of pens and pencils, a flutter of bills, and her stuffed dragon.  
  
She eyes Snape over the top of her glasses, irritated at his tantrum. "Something vexes thee?" She asks sarcastically.  
  
Snape rolls his eyes in exaggerated fashion before replying. "You've really made a mess of things now, haven't you?" He begins to pace.  
  
"Severus, calm down." Nytd replies.  
  
"Calm down? You insist on tormenting me through yet another scene and you want me to calm down?" He asks, still agitated.  
  
"Yes, now pick that book up and sit down." Nytd says, moving over so that he can join her in front of the computer.  
  
Snape eyes her carefully for a moment and draws his wand, debating whether to hex Nytd or pick up the book. He settles for sending everything back to it's proper place with a swish and a flick, and sits with a huff next to the author.  
  
"Now," she says, pulling up another chapter on the screen. "Let me show you what I have in mind for Halloween."  
  
Snape starts to protest. "Halloween? You must be joking! Nothing good ever happens at Hogwarts on Halloween. People die, Nytd. You nearly killed ..." he trails off as she taps the monitor to focus his attention on the writing there.  
  
"Read." She says, and watches him carefully as he reads the chapter, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  
  
Snape turns to face her. "You, my dear Mistress Nytd, may write chapters like that all you want." He says slyly. "And please, don't hesitate to consult me," he purrs, kissing her hand, "if you think you need further....inspiration." He lets go of her hand and sweeps from the room.  
  
It takes a large glass of red wine to steady Nytd's nerves enough so that she can finish her current chapter.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dog and Dragon ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius looked at his best friend in a very concerned way. "Moony, you look like hell this morning." He observed.  
  
Remus gave Sirius a small smile and sighed. "I didn't sleep much last night. I had a talk with Lorien." He said softly.  
  
Black's own voice softened, and he looked at Remus with heartfelt sympathy. "It's over between you isn't it?"  
  
"Yes." Remus said quietly.  
  
"Moony, I ..."  
  
Remus held up a hand and interrupted him. "No. Don't say anything. It's ok, really. I've known for a while that this is how things would turn out." Remus shrugged. "She feels almost as bad as I do."  
  
"I hope she does." Sirius said sharply, anger becoming apparent in the deep blue eyes. He wasn't happy with Lorien at the moment, and of course the news did nothing to improve his feelings about Snape.  
  
"Now don't be like that, Sirius." Remus scolded the other wizard. "You knew it was going to happen. I don't want you holding a grudge against her when I don't." Remus looked pointedly at his best friend, knowing that he had a tendency to harbor hard feelings when he or someone he cared about had been hurt. It wasn't going to do anyone any good if there ended up being animosity between Sirius and Lorien.  
  
"I just hate to see her hurt you." Sirius said, imagining just how much pain Remus was keeping to himself.  
  
"She didn't set out to hurt me on purpose, and I'll tell you Padfoot, that it would grieve me more to see you condemn her for something she couldn't help." Remus spoke sternly to Sirius. "She and I will still be friends, and I'd prefer it if the two of you were as well."  
  
Sirius sighed and sat on the couch next to Remus. "I know you're right, Moony." He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful and then placing a hand on Remus's shoulder affectionately. "I know it's going to feel awful for a while, but it'll all work out, Remus. Trust me." He looked Remus in the eye. "It's going to be her loss, you know."  
  
"I know." Remus smiled weakly.  
  
Sirius sat there quietly for a moment or two, and then a slow broad grin spread across his face as he looked at Remus slyly.  
  
"What, Padfoot?" Asked Remus cautiously, knowing that look meant Sirius was up to something.  
  
"Oh, nothing." Sirius said casually, now sporting his most innocent look.  
  
"What?" Remus asked again more insistently, wondering what was causing Sirius to smile that much at this particular moment.  
  
"I suppose there is one bright spot in all of this." Sirius said brightly.  
  
"Which is?" Remus hadn't thought of one himself yet.  
  
Sirius laughed a little. "You won't have to explain to Lorien the way you've been looking at that little redhead every time you see her." He said.  
  
Remus snorted. "I don't know where you get your ideas, Sirius." He said trying to act indifferent.  
  
Black laughed at his friend. "Don't play coy with me, Lupin! I saw your mouth nearly drop open at breakfast last week when she took that hat off all that red hair."  
  
Remus could feel his face getting warm. "So, she's cute. So what? You said so yourself."  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes and shoved Remus playfully. "Yes, but I wasn't the one that talked Lorien into taking a beating in order to please Marlina." He continued.  
  
"Sirius, you made me do it." Remus reminded him. "Besides, Lorien likes Marlina and was happy to do it."  
  
"I also wasn't the one standing in the middle of Hogsmeade wearing that ridiculous hat." Sirius said pointedly.  
  
Lupin's mouth opened but no words came out.  
  
Black looked smug. "Gotcha." He was pleased when he finally saw his good friend laugh.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien was on her way into Hogsmeade later that week and was walking at a fairly rapid pace. She had seen Sirius heading in her direction and she wanted to avoid a confrontation at the moment with Remus's protective best friend, so she walked quicker to avoid being seen by him.  
  
"Lorien!" he called to her.  
  
Damn. He'd spotted her. She turned to wait for him to catch up, eyeing him warily.  
  
"Merlin's beard, woman! You'd think I was a pack of werewolves the way you were trying to avoid me." He said as he finally caught up to her.  
  
"Hello, Sirius." She said evenly, anticipating an unpleasant conversation.  
  
He smiled as he spoke to her, knowing that she was probably on edge at the moment. "I don't hate you, Lorien."  
  
Sirius was direct as usual. His simple statement conveyed to her that he knew everything and that he had decided not to condemn her, or their friendship.  
  
"You don't beat around the bush, do you Sirius?" She said, beginning to smile a little with relief.  
  
"Nah. Life's too short." He said jovially. "Besides, Moony threatened to kill me if I didn't play nice."  
  
"I'm glad." She said, obviously quite relieved that she wasn't going to be at odds with Sirius.  
  
"That he threatened to kill me?" He asked in an amused way.  
  
"No. That you don't hate me." She laughed.  
  
"I gave it a good try for a few minutes, but..." He shrugged, and decided to change the subject. "So where are you going?"  
  
"I have to get a few things in town." She answered.  
  
Sirius frowned. "You're going alone?" He didn't think it was a good idea if the Nemorosi witch even went to Hogsmeade alone at this point.  
  
"I'm only going for a little while." She said, starting to look like she was getting a bit defensive.  
  
"Yes, you are, and I'm going with you." He announced, obviously set on accompanying her.  
  
Lorien started to protest but then thought better of it. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to let Sirius feel like he was being helpful. It might ease any remaining tension between them.  
  
  
  
She walked into the small wizard town with Sirius as he continued their conversation.  
  
"So. How's old what's his face dealing with the news?" He tried to joke but she could hear the edge in his voice, as always when he spoke of the Head of Slytherin.  
  
"I haven't told him." She said quietly, not terribly comfortable discussing Severus with Sirius. Besides, Snape was not one of her favorite people at that moment either.  
  
"What?" Black sounded genuinely surprised. "I figured he'd be gloating intolerably all over the place by now."  
  
She shook her head. "We had some.....words the other day."  
  
Sirius had to look away so that Lorien couldn't see he found the thought of an argument between the potions master and medical witch funny.  
  
"So what were you two fighting about?" He asked with obvious amusement still in his voice.  
  
She frowned at him. "You."  
  
The smile faded from his face. "What?"  
  
Lorien explained. "Ariel Sinistra was spying on us in the tower the other night and saw you hug me and call me sweetheart before I flew." She sighed as they walked along together. "Let's just say she didn't waste any time reporting the incident to Snape. Out of context of course." She said bitterly.  
  
It took a minute for what she was implying to sink in. "So, he thinks that you and I are.....that's ridiculous, Lorien." Sirius said.  
  
"It wasn't to him." She said. "Let me tell you something, Sirius. I don't know what that woman's problem is, but she definitely has a bigger one on her hands now."  
  
"It's Moony." He said softly.  
  
"What?" She asked, not really understanding what Sirius was saying.  
  
"She has a thing for Remus." He replied, clarifying things for her.  
  
"Does he know?" She wondered out loud. Remus had never mentioned anything of the sort when they'd spoken of The Astronomy professor in the past.  
  
"Kinda. He's oblivious to that stuff mostly but evidently she was pretty persistent when he was here two years ago." Sirius told her. "I'm sure he thinks she's over it by now."  
  
Lorien still looked puzzled. "So why did she tell Severus if she was jealous of me and Remus?" She asked.  
  
"She must have known that Remus would never believe her, but that Snape would. It was the best way to stir up trouble." Sirius could well imagine how angry Snape had become at the thought of Lorien and him, of all people, together.  
  
"What a bitch." Lorien snarled.  
  
"That's pretty much what Remus says about her." Sirius smiled at Lorien.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'll meet you back here in a few minutes." Sirius said to her. "I'm going to run into Honeydukes to get something for Noah."  
  
"Ok, Sirius." She smiled to herself as he walked down the street, knowing that both Sirius and Remus had a soft spot for the outgoing youngster. She turned to walk in the other direction when someone spoke to her nearby. Looking up she saw two men walking toward her.  
  
"Excuse us, but could you tell us where we might find The Three Broomsticks?" One of them asked her pleasantly.  
  
"Oh, of course." She began and turned a little to point in the correct direction. "It's just down....." She saw the other two men coming up behind her and realized that she was in trouble. She had nowhere to go and one of the first men locked a hand firmly on her arm.  
  
"Someone needs to speak to you, love." He said coldly, tightening his grip on her wrist.  
  
Lorien tried unsuccessfully to pull away. "What do you think you're doing?" She cried.  
  
"We've been asked to escort you." Another sneered at her, and she saw the man raise his wand.  
  
As Lorien realized exactly what was happening, and where these men intended to take her, she became very frightened. Merlin's beard, she hated to do it, but she knew she was in a great deal of trouble. Lorien took a deep breath.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius knew Lorien was in trouble the moment he heard her scream, and he was in the street in a heartbeat. He could see four men around Lorien and one of them had grabbed hold of her, while another was starting to point a wand at her.  
  
"Get away from her!" He yelled as he ran. He didn't really care for the odds but he knew he had to help her. Suddenly a huge black dog was thundering down the street. He startled the four just long enough to give Lorien the opportunity to yank her arm away and take a step back. The huge dog leaped and slammed one of the closer men into the ground, biting him savagely as the man screamed. People in the street began screaming and running away from the spot.  
  
"Get the witch! Kill that damn dog!" One of them was yelling. Two of them stepped toward Lorien as the third pointed his wand at Sirius.  
  
"Oh no you don't." Lorien snarled at them and then the dragon did. Both of the men trying to grab her backpedaled furiously and she whipped around, growling at the man threatening the dog.  
  
The thug was foolish enough not to join his two retreating companions and pointed the wand now at the dragon. The great dog jumped again as the man spoke and his teeth closed on the man's arm viciously, sending the spell sailing harmlessly past the small dragon's wings.  
  
Lorien caught the movement from the ground behind Sirius as the man he had attacked first managed to point his wand at the dog. He screamed terribly as the wand in his hand vaporized in a burst of flame that charred most of his fingers. She pinned him to the ground with a large clawed foot and stared into his face in a menacing way.  
  
Sirius had transformed and now shoved the other bleeding man to the ground next to his burned companion. The dragon stepped back as he hexed the two men handily, and then Lorien was standing next to him.  
  
"Thank you." She said gratefully as she surveyed the damage the two of them had done. She stood close to him, still quite rattled after the attack.  
  
"You're quite welcome, sweetheart." He said. He shot her a quick smile before he turned back to the bound and groaning men on the ground. There was no sign of the other two. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" He spoke angrily at the men in front of him.  
  
The bleeding man eyed him ruefully as he gripped his injured arm. "We were sent for the witch."  
  
"Who sent you?" Sirius asked, deciding that he was afraid to hear the man's answer. He suspected he already knew.  
  
"The dark lord." The man said defiantly. "There's a price on her head." He nodded in Lorien's direction.  
  
"You're bounty hunters?" Sirius asked with obvious distaste in his voice. He glanced at Lorien, and saw that more of the color had drained out of her face.  
  
"That's right." The man laughed without mirth. "Voldemort is offering a tidy sum in galleons for her, more if she's alive. You too, Black." He sneered.  
  
Sirius turned away in anger and disgust. He spoke to Lorien as he placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "I'll stay here to keep our new friends company. Go see if you can find Kaneene."  
  
"You'll be ok if I leave?" She asked, concerned for his own safety at this point as well.  
  
Sirius nodded. "Yeah. Those other two are probably long gone, but hurry."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaneene was walking across the grounds with Keath when she spotted the small blue-green dragon. It made a graceful landing a short distance away and then the blonde witch was walking rapidly toward her.  
  
Kaneene's eyes narrow when she saw the woman that had befriended the Death Eater. "That was a bit better than the last landing I saw, Desjardins." The auror said sarcastically to the other woman.  
  
"Well, they couldn't get much worse, could they?" Lorien chose to make light of the situation, and let the look the dark haired witch gave her pass at the moment. "Kaneene, Sirius needs you right away."  
  
"What is it? Where is he?" Moody became concerned, and her hand went to the wand at her belt.  
  
Lorien told her about the ambush and the two men Sirius had waiting for the aurors.  
  
Kaneene looked very grave. "We'll go right to him. You go to Dumbledore and tell him what happened. I don't want anyone else going into town until we evaluate the threat."  
  
Lorien nodded and went toward the castle as the Moody siblings quickly made for Hogsmeade. It had been a close call, and she knew that if Sirius hadn't been with her, there was a good chance she might have been standing before Voldemort at this very moment. It was a thought that chilled her to the bone, and she shuddered as she quickened her pace to warn the headmaster.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
There were certain classes during the week that Remus looked forward to more than others, and his last class of Thursday morning was one of his favorite. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy teaching the other levels, but when it came down to it, he loved instructing the seventh years since that was where they got into the really interesting material.  
  
In particular the seventh year Gryffindor/Slytherin class that he had this year was made up of a group of particularly bright and insightful students, and it was refreshing that by the time they'd reached the age of seventeen or eighteen, the childish inter-house bickering was put aside during class. Well, most of it, anyway.  
  
Remus waited for the students to arrive and leaned back casually against his desk at the front of the room. He was trying to keep focused on what he had prepared for today's lesson, but he found his mind wandering again to his last conversation with Lorien. It had been about a week, and he hadn't really seen her to speak to. It was probably best for now.  
  
He still had yet to recover, and each night so far he'd dreaded going to dinner in the great hall. It wasn't that sitting so close to Severus normally bothered him, but the thought of having to tolerate the inevitable gloating from the irritable Slytherin had Remus on edge when he arrived. Strangely enough, Snape hadn't been seen in the great hall for several days, and Remus was thankful for each day that went by without having to deal with him.  
  
Remus's eyes wandered around the classroom as he waited and fell on the grindylow watching him sullenly from the tank nearby. The sight of the minor water demon pulled him out of his thoughts and back into the classroom as the first students began arriving for class.  
  
Remus smiled at the seventh years as they seated themselves, and when the last student had arrived and shut the door, he leaned off the desk to begin lecturing. "So today, as I promised last week, we're going to start covering how to deal with the Undead."  
  
A murmur of approval rippled across the classroom, and Remus smiled to himself. This was always a popular subject. "Now," Remus continued, "there are nine major classes of undead entities, the most obvious of which are zombies, ghosts, and mummies. Would someone please name two others?"  
  
A seventh year Slytherin girl raised her hand.  
  
"Yes, Tisha?" Remus asked.  
  
"How about ghouls and wraiths?" She offered.  
  
"Very good. Correct." Remus replied. "Two more?" He looked around the room until a short Gryffindor raised his hand. "Robert?"  
  
"Shades and wights?" Robert asked.  
  
"Yes, good. That makes seven. Any ventures as to the last ones?" The Defense professor asked.  
  
"Vampires?" Asked another Gryffindor in the back of the classroom.  
  
"No, but tell me why, Ethan." Remus said.  
  
Ethan thought about it for a moment and then it hit him. "Oh! That's right. Vampires get classified by themselves as 'living dead'." He replied.  
  
"Excellent, Ethan." Remus replied with a smile. "Now, any last tries?"  
  
"I believe I know one more." A tall blonde Slytherin ventured.  
  
Remus turned in the boy's direction to acknowledge him. "What would that be, Thomas?"  
  
"Ghasts." Thomas replied smugly.  
  
"Yes. Well done." Remus nodded. "Last one. Any takers?" Silence greeted him.  
  
Remus decided to give the class a hint. "Formidable undead dark sorcerers?"  
  
"Liches!" Several students cried at once.  
  
"Yes!" Remus replied. "Excellent. Now today we're going to start with ghosts, including phantoms, specters, and poltergeist ..."  
  
  
  
  
  
The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was in the same corridor as the classroom that the new Care of Magical Creatures professor used for the lecture part of her class, and Remus watched for Marlina to step out of her classroom after his class was over.  
  
She saw him leaving his room at the same time she was exiting and closing up hers and she smiled and gave him a little wave.  
  
"Good afternoon, Professor Perkins." He said as he walked her way. He couldn't help but smile a bit to himself as he noted she was wearing her beloved hat.  
  
"And to you, Professor Lupin." She said, turning his direction as she finished charming the door.  
  
"Marlina, where's Noah?" Remus asked curiously.  
  
"He's at school, Remus." They began walking slowly down the hallway as they talked. "I enrolled him at the grade school in Hogsmeade."  
  
"You did?" Remus suddenly looked alarmed.  
  
"Yes, he can't just be hanging around my classroom all the time. I have his education to worry about as well." Marlina told him.  
  
Remus felt a wave of anxiety when he heard exactly where the boy was. "Marlina, you need to get him out of there. It's too dangerous to have him away from you right now." He said firmly.  
  
Marlina became a little annoyed. "I refuse to live my life in constant fear, Remus. It's not likely that anything is going to happen, and I think I know what's best for my child."  
  
Remus hated to tell her. "Marlina, please. I'm not telling you how to handle your son, I'm just very concerned about him..."  
  
"And I appreciate that, Remus." She cut him off, still a bit annoyed at his interference. "He likes you a lot too."  
  
"Marlina, you're not letting me finish." He said. "You must not have heard about yesterday yet and I was just coming to tell you not to take Noah back into town at all."  
  
Marlina's blood ran cold at the seriousness in his voice. "Remus? What happened yesterday?"  
  
Remus hesitated, but then knew he had to tell her. "Lorien and Sirius were attacked by bounty hunters from Voldemort in Hogsmeade."  
  
Marlina felt the panic rising up in her as she realized that Remus was right, and that Hogsmeade was in fact not safe for her little boy. She turned and started to run down the hall.  
  
"Marlina! Where are you going?" Remus called after her.  
  
"I have to get Noah, now!" She kept running.  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus caught up with her before she reached the door outside. "I'll go with you."  
  
"No. I'll be quick. Besides, you have classes." She said, turning away to leave.  
  
Remus placed a restraining hand gently on her arm. "Not until later. It's too dangerous for you to go alone." He saw that she was about to protest further and changed tactics. "Besides, Noah will be safer if we both go get him."  
  
She nodded and looked at him gratefully and they left quickly together for Hogsmeade.  
  
  
  
Noah was playing outside with his new classmates when he saw his mother appear outside the grade school. It looked like she was here to get him early, and even better Remus had come with her to get him.  
  
"Hi, Mom. Hi Remus." He said brightly. His expression changed to one of frustration as he was suddenly crushed by his mother in a protective she-bear hug.  
  
"Mom!" Noah did not think his mother should hug him in the middle of the playground .  
  
Remus watched as Marlina grabbed her son with relief. He knew that it was unlikely that the boy had ever been in danger, but he could understand the way that she felt.  
  
"Come on, Noah. We're leaving early today." Marlina said, ushering the boy off the playground and back toward Remus.  
  
"Cool. Is Remus coming with us?" Noah asked, eyeing the brown haired wizard.  
  
"Yes, he is." She said, grateful for the fact that Remus was there.  
  
Noah walked up to the man waiting patiently for him and his mother. "Remus, can I go with you?" he asked.  
  
Remus looked at Marlina for the ok. She nodded and spoke to them. "I'll be right behind you."  
  
"Ok, Noah. Come on!" Remus said cheerfully and took the little boy's hands. "Ready?"  
  
"Yup." Noah replied.  
  
Remus disapparated, taking the small boy with him.  
  
"That was cool!" Noah said as Marlina apparated beside her son and Lupin. The small boy set out at a quicker pace than the adults for the castle in the distance.  
  
"You should be honored." Marlina said to Remus as they walked behind Noah. "He's usually squeamish about going with anyone but me. I guess he really likes you."  
  
"I really like him. He's a wonderful boy, Marlina." Remus said sincerely.  
  
"Thank you, Remus." She replied. She couldn't have been more relieved to be walking back onto the protected school grounds with her son.  
  
Remus smiled warmly at her. "No need to thank me, he really is wonderful."  
  
"I mean thank you for coming with me." She said gratefully.  
  
"My pleasure. So what are you going to do about him during the day now?" Remus asked.  
  
Marlina sighed. "I'm just not sure."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I had to throw the tiny salute to Alan Rickman's performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham in at the beginning of the Nytd fantasy. He pitches a similar fit when going to see Mortiana in the dungeons. (I didn't dare give Severus a knife.) I have seen Prince of Thieves many times, and the reason has nothing to do with Kevin Costner or Robin Hood, I assure you. ;) 


	11. Lupin's Gift

A/N: C Queen - You had me laughing. Last chapter was the second longest one out of 44 chapters of fiction that I've written! :D  
  
Zephyre - Why do I have the feeling that this wouldn't be the first time Sirius has been slapped for something he said without thinking?  
  
Antinua - Now do you believe me about Alan Rickman? ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lupin's Gift ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien was busy in the medical ward, treating the burned arm of Fred Weasley. He and his brother had been experimenting again with explosive compounds and he had managed to scorch himself when something had gone awry. Of course that's not what he told the medical witch. They had come up with a story that had something to do with a hot cauldron in class.  
  
"You'll have to be more careful, Fred." She admonished him with a meaningful look. It was a nasty burn that took considerable effort to resolve, and the experienced medical witch knew that this was no minor cauldron scorch.  
  
Fred said nothing as he looked at the repaired skin on his arm, sticking to the story he had first offered. "Thank you, Mistress Lorien." He said, hopping down off the exam table.  
  
Lorien shook her head. "Go on now," she said, "and try not to let it happen again."  
  
Fred winked at her and left the hospital wing.  
  
Lorien smiled after he left at the fact that the he was obviously up to something, and that the red headed teenager was such a flirt. She didn't know quite what had caused a burn like that, though, and she thought it might be best to at least warn Minerva that something was possibly in the works.  
  
Lorien walked out of the medical wing to head to McGonagall's office and rounded the corner into the hallway the same time that Remus happened to be walking by. There was no avoiding him since he was heading the same direction as she, and she settled for smiling nervously at him as he neared her. "Hello, Remus."  
  
He gave her a warm smile, but she knew him well enough to know that he was feeling the awkwardness that stood between them still as well. "Hello, Lorien." He said, falling into step next to her. "Where are you off to this morning?" He asked, trying to sound casual.  
  
"I've got to talk to Minerva," she said. "I just treated Fred Weasley for a nasty burn, and I don't think it was from a cauldron like he said." She winced internally at bringing the mention of cauldrons into the conversation with him.  
  
"I'd wager that the twins were up to something." He said, sounding somewhat amused.  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of." She said with a laugh. "So where are you headed?" She asked as he continued to walk along side her.  
  
"I've got to see Minerva, as well." He replied. "I've got to run something by her."  
  
Lorien didn't want to pry, but she couldn't help the puzzled expression that she knew crossed her face.  
  
Remus smiled. "I'm hoping that she'll agree to let Noah stay in the staff room when Marlina is teaching class. I don't think it would be a problem with the staff watching him, but I thought I should clear it with her first."  
  
Lorien nodded. "That's an excellent idea, Remus. I heard that Marlina's not sending him back to Hogsmeade. I would dare say that she won't have to worry about him being sufficiently educated if he spends time with the staff of Hogwarts."  
  
"I hope the staff won't mind a bit of babysitting." Remus said, sounding a bit worried.  
  
Lorien tried to reassure him. "I'm sure that most of them will be happy to help, and it won't be a big deal spread out over so many people."  
  
"You're probably right." Remus replied. "I just hope that Marlina likes the idea."  
  
"This was your idea?" Lorien asked, not surprised that Remus had taken it upon himself to help with the plight of a lady in need of assistance.  
  
He shrugged. "Yes, and now I just need a way to deal with covering his schoolwork."  
  
Lorien thought about it for a moment as they walked along quietly together and then smiled. "What about tutors?" She asked him.  
  
"You mean students?" He asked.  
  
"Yes. I'd bet that you could find a number of them that would enjoy working with a six year old." She said encouragingly.  
  
"I hadn't thought of that." Remus admitted as he considered her idea. "That might be just the thing to do." He seemed to perk up a little. "Excellent idea. I think I know just the ones to ask."  
  
"See, that's why you need us clever Ravenclaws." Lorien teased him, trying to lessen the tension a little.  
  
He smiled at her a little less uneasily than he had been lately as he reached Minerva's office. "You first." He said politely, indicating the door. "Thanks for your help, Lorien."  
  
"You're welcome." She said, turning to enter the office. She turned back to where he was now leaning against the wall to wait his turn to see the deputy headmistress. "Oh, Remus?"  
  
"Yes?" He looked questioningly at her.  
  
"Before you ask every smart Gryffindor you know, keep in mind that Noah might be excited about that, but Marlina will be more impressed if you manage to spread things around a little. She is a Slytherin, after all." Lorien was smiling at him mischievously.  
  
"Oh, right. Thanks." Remus said, and watched as she entered the office. He stood in the hall thinking about what Lorien had just said. 'Marlina will be more impressed.'  
  
It hit him. She knew that he was trying to help Noah and Marlina, since it was just his nature to be caring and helpful, but she had also suggested that he was trying to impress the boy's mother. Was he? No, it was really more that he wanted to.....alright, maybe he was, just a little. Remus smiled at the fact that Lorien knew, and that she had just helped give him a way to do it. Again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"So what do you think?" Remus asked Sirius after he told him about the conversation he had with Lorien.  
  
"I think Lorien's on to you." Sirius said with a grin.  
  
"Not that!" Remus said, playfully swatting at Black's head as he ducked. "The idea about the staff room. It's just down the hall from Marlina's classroom." He explained.  
  
"It's Marlina you have to sell the idea to, not me, but I think it's a great idea." Said Sirius.  
  
"And the tutors?" Remus asked.  
  
"Talk to Marlina." Sirius repeated.  
  
"You're right. I'll talk to her after dinner." Remus looked thoughtful for a moment. "Speaking of dinner......you know something strange, Padfoot?"  
  
"What's that, Moony?" Sirius asked.  
  
"I just realized that I haven't seen Snape in the great hall all week. I mean I've been dreading seeing him since....well, since she told him, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of the slimy git."  
  
"She didn't tell him." Said Sirius quietly, not sure how Remus would react.  
  
"What? How do you know?" Remus was taken aback at learning that Lorien hadn't gone to Snape yet with the news.  
  
Sirius told Remus about the conversation he'd had with Lorien.  
  
Like Sirius, Remus was at first amused by the thought of the dark robed Slytherin facing Lorien if she was very upset, but then he realized that Sinistra had indeed created a new problem for her, and he found himself truly angry with the Astronomy Professor.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina loved both ideas. "Do you think we can get the staff to agree?" She asked anxiously, as she directed some of Noah's toys back to where they belonged with her wand.  
  
"Almost all of them. "I've cleared it with Minerva, and I don't think it'll be much of a problem." Remus reassured her.  
  
Marlina closed the lid on the toybox. "Remus, you'll have to decide which students to ask about tutoring Noah. I haven't been here as long as you, and you'll know better who would be appropriate." She said.  
  
"I already have my short list." He smiled, pleased that things were working out so far.  
  
"What's a tutor?" asked Noah from where he sat, playing on the floor.  
  
Remus knelt on one knee to speak to the boy at his own level. "Noah, how would you feel about having your own set of teachers here at Hogwarts?"  
  
"Really? I can go to school here?" The blue eyes were wide with excitement. "Can I get a house now?" The boy asked excitedly.  
  
"I suppose....." Remus looked at Marlina for help.  
  
"Noah, you can pick your own house for now." His mother replied, knowing where this was probably headed.  
  
"Yes!" the little boy shouted.  
  
Marlina heaved a dramatic sigh. "I suppose you'll want to be in Harry Potter's house, Noah?" She asked, rolling her eyes a bit.  
  
Noah's brow furrowed in thought and then he spoke quietly. "I think I want to be in the same house as Remus."  
  
Remus hadn't expected the mix of emotions that would hit him with the small boy's simple declaration, but he smiled broadly and waited for the boy's next question.  
  
"Remus, what house are we in?" Noah asked tentatively.  
  
"Gryffindor." Remus answered softly.  
  
"YES!" The little boy jumped about. "Same house as Harry Potter!"  
  
Remus was pleased when he looked at the boy's mother and saw the way she was smiling as she watched her son celebrate.  
  
  
  
Of course most of the staff agreed that they didn't mind looking out for Noah at the times they were in the staff room, and it would work out that there were some days that Noah could still be with Marlina in her classroom. Remus decided that on the upcoming weekend he would find Noah's tutors to further help Marlina. As for tonight, there were two other things he decided he needed to do for another very good friend.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It had been dark for quite a while and Lupin knew that meant that Ariel Sinistra would likely be in her tower. He had checked the schedule in the staff room and he knew that she didn't have any classes at this particular time, and he climbed the long flights of stairs to the observation platform.  
  
She looked completely surprised when she saw exactly who it was that opened the door from the stairwell, and barely managed a greeting. "W-Why, Remus. What a pleasant surprise. Now what would bring you all the way up here tonight?"  
  
Remus eyed her coldly as he walked across the tower to stand closer to where the dark haired witch stood. "We need to talk, Ariel."  
  
"About what, Remus?" She asked innocently, turning away from the wall where she was standing.  
  
His soft gray eyes hardened and fixed on hers. "Actually, I need to talk. You just listen."  
  
"Ok." She said warily, not liking his tone.  
  
He spoke in a soft steady voice that contained little menace, but left no doubt as to his sincerity. "Ariel, let me make this perfectly clear. If you EVER do anything to hurt Lorien or make things difficult for her again in any way, shape or form, I will see to it personally that you are strung up by your miserable scrawny neck from the highest point in this tower. Do you understand me?" His gaze was intense as he spoke.  
  
She glared at him silently.  
  
"Do you?" He asked again.  
  
"Yes." She hissed.  
  
"Good." He gave her one last meaningful glare, and then turned on his heel and walked out of the tower.  
  
By the time he got to the bottom of the stairs he was laughing at himself.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus stopped chuckling as he hesitated at the next flight of stairs. These led to the dungeon.  
  
Other than having to go to the potions classroom during his time as a student, Lupin could not recall more than one or two times that he had ever been down there. He frowned and started down.  
  
He knew where Snape's office was and he tried there first. There was no answer after he knocked three times and Remus realized he was going to have to look further.  
  
He went to the classroom and hoped more than anything Snape would be there, but the classroom was locked and no one answered when he knocked.  
  
Remus stood in the hall, debating between forgetting the whole stupid idea and forging ahead. He thought of Lorien and how much she meant to him, and despite the ache in his heart, found the courage to do what he knew needed to be done. It was going to be agony to do this but he wanted, more than anything, for Lorien to be happy.  
  
He had a pretty good guess as to where the rooms of the potions master were, and he steeled himself and knocked at the door.  
  
"Enter." The muffled voice said sharply.  
  
Lupin blew out the deep breath he had taken and went in.  
  
Snape was walking into the sitting room from the doorway beyond and was quite obviously surprised to see the werewolf at first, but then Lupin saw the dark eyes narrow. Snape had discarded his black robes as he was apparently preparing to retire for the evening and he wore black tailored trousers and a white shirt open at the collar.  
  
Remus waited while the black haired man walked slowly in his direction, eyeing him warily . His voice was ice when he finally came to stand a few feet away and spoke. "Exactly what is it you want?"  
  
"I need to speak with you." Remus answered him firmly, looking the slightly taller man resolutely in the eye. He folded his arms and waited for a response.  
  
"I see." Snape glanced at the time. "And you need to do this now?" He asked, sounding even more irritated.  
  
"Yes. It can't wait." Remus replied. He stood his ground, but watched Snape carefully, not know exactly how the man might react to being disturbed at this hour, or how he might react when he found out what Remus wanted to talk to him about.  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed again for a second, but then he turned toward the fireplace and gestured toward the two chairs silently, indicating that Lupin be seated. He dropped into his own chair as Remus sat across from him and looked at the werewolf expectantly. "Well?" Snape asked impatiently, looking across at Lupin from steepled fingers pressed against his lips.  
  
"It's about Lorien." Remus began.  
  
"Obviously." Snape sneered.  
  
Remus saw that he'd hit a nerve by mentioning her name, and as Snape's expression darkened a bit, he had the faintest idea of what it must be like to be the mongoose that has followed the snake into it's den, only to find itself suddenly with little room to maneuver. He decided the best approach was to be direct. "I know about your argument the other night."  
  
Snape stared at him still but shrugged. "Then you obviously know that I was gravely mistaken." He said softly.  
  
Remus knew Snape well enough to know the potential danger lurking behind the low velvet voice that addressed him now. "Yes. That's why I'm here." He admitted.  
  
"Come to rub it in, have you?" Snape asked sarcastically. "That's not really your style, now is it Lupin?"  
  
Remus hesitated for a moment. Snape's remarks confused him until he realized that the other man was assuming Lorien had chosen him and that he was there to gloat. It would be a natural assumption for a Slytherin to make.  
  
Snape sat back in his chair, letting his arms fall to the armrests and spoke during Lupin's hesitation. "So she's made up her mind, has she?" He asked mockingly.  
  
Remus nodded. "She has." He replied softly, wondering what had ever possessed him to do this.  
  
"I suppose my unacceptable behavior may have pushed her over the edge." Snape mused bitterly, more to himself than to Lupin.  
  
"Your behavior, however unacceptable, had nothing to do with it." Remus said firmly, starting to feel a bit agitated himself.  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow.  
  
Remus chose his words carefully. "She told me the night before your....disagreement."  
  
Snape suddenly sat forward "Ah! There it is. Had to let me know she told you first, didn't you?" Snape asked, his voice indignant and accusing.  
  
"Yes. She told me first." Remus snapped, emotion getting the better of him for a moment. "It was the kindest thing to do."  
  
Snape frowned. "What are you talking about?" He asked, still quite agitated.  
  
"It's the way she is," Remus explained. "She had to do her best not to hurt me."  
  
"Hurt you?" Snape was still frowning. "What are you getting at, Lupin?" He asked impatiently.  
  
Remus sighed with exasperation. "She chose you."  
  
  
  
Remus wasn't sure exactly what he expected as a reaction from the man sitting in front of him, but he definitely wasn't prepared for what he thought at first was no reaction. Snape merely stared at the floor in front of Lupin's chair for a long moment, his face expressionless.  
  
It wasn't until he heard the slightest break in the usually controlled voice that Remus knew that there was much more going on below the surface. "And why are you telling me this?" Snape asked, still staring at the same spot on the floor.  
  
Remus was direct again. "Because I want Lorien to be happy, and the way to make her happy is to give her what she wants." He paused and mentally braced himself. "For some unfathomable reason, that seems to be you."  
  
Snape looked up and his black eyes met gray ones as Lupin continued. "I am here, Severus, to tell you to get the hell off your pathetic ass and do something about this mess before it's too late. You've screwed up royally, but I'd be willing to bet that Lorien will forgive even you." Remus said sternly.  
  
"What makes you so sure?" Snape asked him a little more steadily.  
  
Remus sighed and steeled himself once more to meet the potions master's gaze and say what he'd come to say. The words came out not much above a whisper. "She's in love with you."  
  
"What?" Snape had obviously been caught off guard by Lupin's simple declaration.  
  
"You heard me." Remus said abruptly. " Now, are you going to do something with the chance I just gave you or not?" He demanded.  
  
Snape considered things for a long moment and then looked at Remus again. "I believe, Professor Lupin, that I most certainly will." The intensity of his gaze had lessened considerably as he considered what it had taken for Lupin to come to face him directly with news of this nature.  
  
"Good." Remus got up out of his chair, and made as if to leave.  
  
"Lupin?" Snape spoke quietly, holding him back momentarily.  
  
"Yes?" Remus asked.  
  
"Thank you." Snape said, a bit stiffly.  
  
"I'm doing this for her, not for you." Remus said coldly.  
  
"You misunderstand. I know that." Snape said, clarifying what he meant. "I'm thanking you for looking out for her."  
  
"I see." Remus said softly as he turned and put his hand on the door.  
  
"Oh, and Lupin?" Snape called to him. "One more thing." Remus thought he could hear the slightest amusement in the other man's voice even though he could no longer see his face, and he hesitated.  
  
"If you ever call me a pathetic ass again to my face I assure you I will not take it so lightly." Snape said behind him.  
  
Remus smiled just a little and was pretty sure that the potions master did as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius waited in his own rooms across the hall from Remus for Harry, Ron and Hermione. Since being appointed head of security and the trouble had begun in Hogsmeade, Sirius had decided that for now he would follow Dumbledore's advice and stay at Hogwarts.  
  
A knock sounded at the door.  
  
"Come in." He called, looking up from where he sat reading at the desk in his room.  
  
Lupin poked his head in the door and then frowned. "They're not here yet?"  
  
"No, they're not." Sirius rolled his eyes, looking at the clock.  
  
"I thought you said seven." Remus said, sounding a little impatient.  
  
"It's only five past." Sirius informed him. He got up and walked across the room, and then flung himself on the couch, indicating Remus should join him.  
  
Remus closed the door behind him. "All three of them are coming right?"  
  
"Moony, relax." Sirius said, draping his arm casually along the back of the couch.  
  
"Sorry, I just hope she'll do it." Remus sounded a little worried, as he sat down next to Sirius. He was trying to line up the students he thought would make the best possible tutors, and Hermione was top on his list. He was anxious to ask her.  
  
"She'll do it, Remus." Sirius changed the subject while they waited. "Hey, I heard you get back kind of late from talking to Marlina last night." He teased, poking Remus in the arm.  
  
"What, you're spying on me now?" Remus asked, rubbing the spot where Sirius had just jabbed him.  
  
Sirius laughed. " I'm not spying on you. I can't help it if I can hear your door across the hall."  
  
"Actually, I left Marlina and Noah early." Remus said. He was grinning and looked pleased with himself. "I was out late putting Slytherins back in line."  
  
"What are you talking about, Moony?" Sirius asked.  
  
"I had a little talk with Ariel Sinistra in the tower last night. Very brief but very to the point." Remus said cheerfully, now leaning casually back against the couch as well.  
  
"Leave Lorien the hell alone or else?" Sirius asked, thinking along the same lines as his friend.  
  
Remus nodded and Sirius laughed.  
  
Remus thought about it for a minute and decided to tell Sirius the rest. "I went to the dungeon after the tower."  
  
"What, are you nuts?" Sirius sat up straight, looking at Remus like he was indeed crazy.  
  
Remus continued, ignoring the comment from Black. "I found Snape in his rooms and....."  
  
"You actually went to his rooms?" Sirius cut Remus off, and looked at him intently.  
  
"Yes." Remus replied.  
  
Sirius got an odd look on his face. "So what are they like?" He asked.  
  
"What?" Remus asked.  
  
"His rooms." Said Sirius.  
  
"Why?" Remus was confused.  
  
"Morbid curiosity." Explained Sirius with a shrug.  
  
"Oh..... Quite nice actually." Remus said. He hadn't really been paying much attention to Snape's decor at the time, but he'd gotten the impression that it wasn't merely a teacher's salary that had furnished his quarters.  
  
"No dead stuff in jars?" Sirius continued.  
  
"No." Said Remus shortly.  
  
"Cauldron?" Asked Sirius.  
  
"No! Look, I can take you down there if you're that interested....." Remus was getting annoyed.  
  
"Sorry, Moony." Sirius apologized. "You were saying?"  
  
Remus related his odd conversation with the Slytherin, and when he was through, Sirius just sat there with his mouth open.  
  
"You didn't." Sirius said, voice full of disbelief.  
  
"Oh, yes." Remus nodded. "I most certainly did."  
  
"Really?" Sirius sounded amazed.  
  
"Absolutely." Remus raised his right hand as if to swear an oath, and then found himself laughing a little.  
  
"Moony, you really marched into the chambers of Severus Snape and called him a pathetic ass? To his face?" Sirius was in awe.  
  
"Yes, Padfoot, I did." Remus stated proudly.  
  
Sirius broke into a wide grin and clapped Remus on the shoulder. "Remus, did you know that you're my hero?"  
  
It was only a moment later that the three Gryffindor students arrived at Sirius's rooms. While Sirius talked to Harry and Ron, Remus spoke to Hermione. "Hermione, could I have a word with you?" He glanced at the door.  
  
"Sure." She followed him across the hall.  
  
He shut the door and turned to speak with her. "I have something to ask you, but first please understand that you are welcome to say no. I know you have a very busy schedule already."  
  
"What is it?" She asked.  
  
He explained the situation with Noah. "So you see we thought one way to work around the problem would be to set up a group of tutors. It shouldn't be too difficult since he's only six. It will involve a few hours each a week, and it would really help with Professor Perkin's hectic schedule."  
  
Hermione smiled. "I'd be happy to do it, Remus."  
  
"You would?" He asked hopefully.  
  
"Sure." She shrugged. "It sounds like fun."  
  
"That's great, Hermione." Remus said with relief. "You'll really like Noah. He's very bright, and extremely outgoing."  
  
"Who else is going to be working with him?" Hermione asked out of curiosity.  
  
"Rachel Davies and Jane Hillyer." Answered Remus.  
  
"Good." She said with apparent approval. "Rachel's really smart, and Jane is pretty nice, for a Slytherin." Hermione said wryly. "I think it's a great idea."  
  
"I can't take all the credit." Remus replied. "Actually it was Lorien's idea."  
  
Hermione got a concerned look. "Speaking of Lorien, Remus, how are....."  
  
She broke off as he smiled and merely shook his head without a word. Hermione understood perfectly and didn't say another thing about it. "Shall we join the others and see what they're up to?" She asked, changing the subject and they headed for the door.  
  
"I believe Sirius is making an attempt to borrow the Marauder's Map back from Harry." Remus said to her on the way back across the hall.  
  
"That shouldn't be a problem." Hermione speculated.  
  
"It might if he wants to give it to one of the aurors." Remus said, a smile creeping across his face.  
  
"But why would Sirius want to do a thing like that?" Hermione asked, sounding appalled at the idea.  
  
Remus said nothing as he smiled to himself, but after seeing the way his best friend had been flirting with the lady auror recently, he knew exactly why Sirius would want to do something like that.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: For all you fans of MWPP - there was a link posted to a fanart site at the WWR recently that had the coolest picture of the young foursome. A bit of a warning - there are a lot of pictures at the site that contain soft slash pairings, (which is not my thing) but this one particular drawing is wonderful. The link is http://www.artdungeon.net/images/marauders_closeup.jpg  
  
Check it out, but be forewarned if you venture into any of the other galleries. 


	12. Other Plans

A/N: I am sure that all of you know of the passing of Richard Harris by now, and although I wouldn't presume to be able to do justice to a tribute fic, I would highly recommend reading "Eulogy for a Headmaster" by the incomparable Strega Brava.  
  
And to help dry a misty eye after, try the little fic I found called "Mrs Norris, Frustrated, Poetical" by chilly-a. Verses of poetry to Argus Filch. Yes, Filch. From his cat.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Other Plans ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius went to where the group of aurors was standing together inside the main entranceway updating each other as they prepared to change shifts. Keath and Kaneene were going off duty and Evan and Dunstan were relieving them.  
  
"Sirius." Evan acknowledged him as he approached.  
  
"Good morning." He addressed the foursome. "Quiet night?"  
  
"Yeah. No problems at all." Answered Keath, trying to suppress a yawn.  
  
"Good." Sirius turned to the eldest of the group. "May I speak with you?"  
  
She nodded and followed him a few steps away.  
  
"I know it's been a long night for you, but do you have a few minutes to look at a map?" He asked her.  
  
"Of course." She replied a bit tiredly. "Let me see it."  
  
"I don't have it with me. It would be better if we looked at it elsewhere." Sirius said quietly.  
  
Kaneene frowned a little. "Why?"  
  
Sirius looked at her meaningfully, and then glanced quickly at the others nearby. "Trust me, it would."  
  
Kaneene turned back to speak to Keath. "I've got a few things to check out for Sirius, I'll be back in a while."  
  
Her brother kept talking to Dunstan and Evan, but raised a hand to wave and acknowledge that he'd heard her.  
  
Sirius led Kaneene along the hallways.  
  
"Where on earth are we going?" She said after they'd walked a ways.  
  
He pointed up ahead. "Just down this last hall."  
  
She followed him to his door and he unlocked it with a word. Kaneene followed him in and looked around the sparsely furnished room. "So who's your decorator?" She smirked.  
  
"Kaneene, I just moved in." Sirius replied with a hint of exasperation. "I've been a bit busy to worry about matching my curtains and bedspread."  
  
"So, where's this map you made me stay awake to see?" She asked, looking around.  
  
He beckoned her across the room as he spoke. "I can only show it to you under two conditions." Sirius smiled at her.  
  
"Conditions?" She asked, looking confused "You dragged me up here to give me conditions?"  
  
"Yes." He replied, putting his hands on his hips.  
  
She thought him a bit odd for a minute, and then decided she was too tired to argue. "Ok. Whatever."  
  
"No. I'm serious Kaneene." He said a little more sternly.  
  
She saw that he was and she nodded in agreement. "Alright, what are they?"  
  
"First, you can't show or tell anyone about this map, other than your brother and cousins. They have to agree to the same." He said.  
  
"Fine." She replied slowly, wondering what he was playing at. "Second?"  
  
"You absolutely have to give it back when you're done with it." Black said soberly.  
  
She was amazed at how insistent he sounded. "Of course, why wouldn't I?" She asked, curiosity now getting the better of her.  
  
"You haven't seen it yet." Sirius grinned at her.  
  
She looked at him suspiciously for a minute and then agreed. "Fine. You'll definitely get it back."  
  
Sirius nodded and motioned for her to move closer to the table on which he had spread a ragged piece of parchment. It was blank.  
  
Kaneene snatched it up. "Now what on earth am I supposed to do with this? Are you pulling my leg, Black? 'Cause let me tell you if you're joking around after I haven't had any sleep....." She went silent as Sirius slowly lifted the blank sheet out of her hand and placed it back on the table to touch it with his wand. She raised an eyebrow as he spoke.  
  
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."  
  
Kaneene frowned and opened her mouth to say something but stopped as she watched the spidery lines and green lettering appear across the page. It was obviously a map of Hogwarts. She read the inscription from Mssrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.  
  
"This is amazing, Sirius." She looked at the detail and noted the small labeled moving dots, and her eyes went wide. "Where did you ever get this? I've never seen anything quite like it." She said with awe. "Look, there's Keath leaving Evan and Dunstan."  
  
She looked up at Sirius who was grinning at her. "I have to admit, I'm impressed, Black. This most certainly will be very helpful." She returned her attention to the parchment on the table. "Someone with a lot of talent spent a lot of time making this, and it looks like just the thing we need."  
  
"A lot of time." Sirius agreed quietly.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaneene agreed to meet Sirius later that day after she'd had a chance to get some sleep, so that he could go over the map with her in greater detail. She headed back to the part of the castle that she was temporarily calling home and wondered more about the tall dark haired man as she walked.  
  
For her entire career as an auror she had always thought of Sirius Black as one of the most dangerous, darkest wizards to ever be thrown in Azkaban, (and then of course escape.) Every auror knew the story of how he had killed Peter Pettigrew and a dozen other people with one curse the very day after Voldemort met defeat.  
  
Since Halloween that had all changed once it had been discovered that without a doubt, Pettigrew was in fact alive and one of Voldemort's horrid Death Eaters. Even though Fudge had issued a full pardon immediately, Black still had to undergo a series of investigations and interviews with a large number of officials from the department of Magical Law Enforcement over the next few months. Kaneene had made it a point to give as much helpful testimony as possible and to be present for as many of the proceedings as she could.  
  
She had been impressed with the way he had handled himself on Halloween, but even more so at the way he'd handled what he'd gone through after. Most of all she was impressed that the man had ever survived that much time in Azkaban, and had been resilient enough to remain the kind, caring person that he seemed to be. She knew that he was no angel, and that he had a mischievous sense of humor, but for her that was all part of the appeal.  
  
Kaneene smiled as she walked, thinking of how the handsome wizard had been flirting shamelessly with her. She knew he was interested - knew SHE was interested. After all, with those deep blue eyes and that roguish smile, how could she not be? She was enjoying their flirting - a little game of fox and hound with the chase being almost as much fun as the capture.  
  
' Almost as much fun.' She thought wryly, as she made it to her door, and she decided that she was definitely looking forward to her afternoon meeting with Mr. Sirius Black.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien and Harry had decided to meet again to pursue Harry's desire to explore his potential for wandless magic. Poppy was busy treating a student in the medical ward, they moved to an empty classroom instead.  
  
"So what do you think, Harry?" Lorien asked as she sat on a desk. "Anything in particular you want to explore?"  
  
Harry nodded. "I've been doing some reading since the last time we met."  
  
"About Nemorosi magic?" Lorien sounded surprised.  
  
Harry nodded. "Yes. I want to try an elemental summoning spell." He said eagerly.  
  
Lorien was impressed with the fact that Harry had taken such an interest and done some research on his own. She nodded in agreement. "Alright, Mr. Potter." She said with a smile. " Shall we start with Calling of the Winds?"  
  
Harry grinned broadly. "That sounds great. Will you show me?"  
  
Lorien nodded and stood up. "This is the simplest of the elemental summonings to learn, but it is by no means an easy spell to master. The degree to which you can summon the winds is related directly to your experience and magical potential, so it varies greatly from individual to individual." Lorien told Harry. "Of course you would expect that I would be more adept at it than you, just as my mentor is much more adept at it than I am."  
  
"He's a stronger wizard?" Asked Harry.  
  
Lorien smiled mischievously. "Let's just call him more experienced for now."  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"You need to invoke the four winds in order to perform the summoning, and create a mental image of the strongest winds you have seen in order for it to be effective." She explained. "Let me show you first, Harry."  
  
Lorien performed a series of simple gestures as she invoked the four winds, starting with the east. "Eurus.. Notus.. Zephyrus.. Borus."  
  
Harry was expecting the spell to work but not strength of the gust of wind that swept into the room and pulled him off balance as it yanked at his robes. His hair blew wildly as the door to the classroom slammed shut and a nearby chair tipped over. He looked to Lorien who looked back at him, but was obviously still focused. She let the winds blow for a few seconds longer and then waived a hand dismissively. "Finite incantatum."  
  
The winds died, and Harry felt his robes settle back around him.  
  
"Want to try?" Lorien asked playfully.  
  
"Definitely!" Harry said eagerly.  
  
Harry's first attempt at summoning the winds was successful, but less than spectacular. Harry watched with one eye open as he invoked the north and final wind and a small gust of air swept into the room and rustled a few papers that were strewn about on the floor before it petered out. He frowned immediately.  
  
Lorien laughed when she saw his expression. "Harry! Did you expect a monsoon wind the first try?"  
  
Harry realized that his expectations might be a little unrealistic and grinned sheepishly. "I guess not."  
  
"That was actually quite good for your first try, Harry." Lorien patted his shoulder. "Try it again."  
  
Harry tried several more times over the next half hour with similar results.  
  
Lorien knew he was getting a little frustrated, and decided they'd leave it for now. "I suggest that you work on your mental image this week and that we try again later." She said. Harry reluctantly agreed. He hated to stop at this point, but he just wasn't making any headway tonight, and he still had homework to do for Transfiguration.  
  
"Have patience, Harry. You're doing very well." Lorien spoke words of encouragement to the young green eyed wizard as he left the classroom, and he finally smiled a little.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Noah was a little disappointed that Harry Potter was not going to be one of his tutors.  
  
"But Hermione is one of his very best friends, Noah." Remus said, trying to placate the pouting six year old.  
  
He had told Marlina that all three of the students he had asked were happy to help, and he had arranged for her to meet with all three earlier in the day.  
  
"They were all great. Remus, I can't thank you enough. You've been so good to Noah and to me." She spoke sincerely to him.  
  
"I'm just happy I could help." He replied, pleased that she thought he was. "It's hard to be on your own in a new situation and sometimes it makes the biggest difference just to have a friend."  
  
"You have been an excellent friend, Remus. I only hope I can return the favor at some point." She smiled sweetly at him.  
  
Noah came to stand next to Remus as he sat near Marlina. "We're friends too, right?" He asked in a voice that said he didn't want to be left out.  
  
Remus looked at the boy and smiled. "Absolutely, Noah."  
  
Noah gave him the biggest hug and Remus was sure part of his heart had just melted.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next few days were busy for Lorien, and for the third time in less than a week she was treating Fred Weasley for another 'cauldron burn'. She knew that he was full of it the first two times he'd given her the fabricated story, and by the third incident she finally had to say something as he left.  
  
"Fred, either quit messing with whatever you're blowing up, or for goodness sake let George detonate them for a change."  
  
Fred had merely smiled and bowed with a flourish and then walked out the door.  
  
  
  
Lorien was shaking her head and smiling when Poppy came in.  
  
"Was that Fred Weasley again?" Poppy asked, looking back at where the red headed boy had just exited.  
  
"Yes. Third time this week." Lorien replied.  
  
"You've seen him three times?" asked the older witch. "I saw him once the other day myself."  
  
"Don't tell me, cauldron burn?" Lorien asked.  
  
Poppy laughed. "Something like that, I believe."  
  
"Those twins are a menace." Lorien complained with a smile, and rolled her eyes.  
  
Poppy became more serious. "Speaking of cauldron burn. I was talking to Forsythia today. She said that Snape hasn't retrieved the usual amount of wolfsbane from her this past week."  
  
Lorien suddenly frowned.  
  
"Do you think he forgot?" Poppy asked in a concerned way.  
  
"Probably." She lied. She knew he never forgot.  
  
"I figured as much." Pomfrey said as she walked toward the office. "Lorien, be a love and remind him, would you?"  
  
"Me?" Lorien asked, a little unsteadily. The thought of going to talk to Severus about the wolfsbane potion at this point did not appeal to her in the least.  
  
"Yes, if you would, dear. It appears that you irritate him less than I do." Pomfrey snorted.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien was pacing in her room trying to decide if she really needed to do this. Snape hadn't been at dinner as she'd hoped and she was dreading a confrontation. He obviously had chosen not to prepare the wolfsbane potion this month and she was furious that he would take his frustration with her out on Remus.  
  
She looked at the time and sighed. If she was going to be able to get him to make the potion she needed to go now. Remus needed to start taking some tomorrow and so it would have to be made tonight.  
  
  
  
Lorien stood outside the door for a long time and made herself think of Remus as a raging, snarling, murderous beast instead of the large ordinary wolf that had lain so peacefully with her on the other side of the door. She couldn't bear it. Remus had experience enough hurt and disappointment these past weeks, and Lorien was determined that he was not going to have to experience the werewolf dementia with this month's moon on top of everything else. The potion made all the difference in the world to him and she was going to see to it that he got it.  
  
She knocked sharply.  
  
She knocked again.  
  
"Enter." The customary annoyed tone came from the depths of his rooms behind the heavy door.  
  
Lorien sighed. Was this ever going to be awkward and messy. She was sure that he was just as angry as she was, and the thought of dealing with Severus when he was very angry held little appeal for her. For all she knew, he probably despised her by now. Why else would he do something as hurtful as refusing to make the potion Remus needed? The thought of him doing something so spiteful made her mad, and she decided that her own anger was the best weapon to arm herself with to get through this. She braced herself and opened the door, quickly stepping inside.  
  
Snape was standing near the fireplace and looked up at her as she came in. She stood where she was and stared at him angrily, trying to stay in control.  
  
"Mistress Lorien," Snape began slowly, his voice low and dangerous. "Tell me, why am I not surprised to see you on this particular evening?" He folded his arms across his chest, his slender fingers draped over his elbows, and waited.  
  
"You know exactly why I'm here, Severus." She said sternly, acutely aware of how timid she really felt when he spoke to her like that. She was determined not to let him know.  
  
"Why don't you remind me?" More than a hint of sarcasm met her ears.  
  
"I want you to make the wolfsbane potion for Remus." She said firmly.  
  
"Tonight?" Snape asked somewhat incredulously. He snorted. "Huh! I don't think so." He said smugly.  
  
Lorien took a couple of steps toward him and then caught herself. "But you have to." She said, not quite believing that he'd turned her request down so carelessly. "He needs it." Her voice was slightly more desperate.  
  
"Does he now?" Snape replied looking at her steadily with an unblinking black stare.  
  
"Yes." She took a deep breath, hoping it was not too obvious and spoke softly. "Severus, please."  
  
"Getting a bit desperate?" He asked in a slightly amused tone. "Alright, I might be....persuaded." He looked at her meaningfully as he uncrossed his arms and sat in the armchair he favored near the fire.  
  
Lorien stood there in disbelief. Was it her imagination, or did he just insinuate that...? Surely he didn't.  
  
Snape leaned his chin on his fingers as he propped his elbow on the arm of the chair and gazed at her steadily. "Sit." He ordered.  
  
She gave him an angry look but decided it was probably best to comply and walked toward the other chair. The one she had sat in across from him before. She went to be seated and then she saw him shake his head.  
  
"Not exactly what I had in mind." He informed her in his silkiest voice. His eyes flicked to his own lap, and then met hers again.  
  
Lorien's mouth opened, and closed again before she said anything, and she closed her eyes for just a moment to steel herself. He was going out of his way to make this as difficult and unpleasant for her as possible. Bastard. Did he think that was going to deter her from getting what she came for? Well, he was going to have to try a lot harder than that. She held her head up and went to him, quite angry, and sat on his lap.  
  
"Better." His arms went around her and she flinched. "Now," he said as she sat there rigidly, "how badly do you want this, Lorien?" She didn't like the tone in his voice. "How badly does he need this?" He continued.  
  
She felt herself swallow hard before answering. "Very badly." She answered him in a voice barely more than a whisper, not meeting his eyes.  
  
"Really? Interesting." He mused, trailing his hand along the edge of her chin. She flinched again a little when his fingers met her skin. "So then tell me, Lorien, just how much do you want to...convince me?" He asked her in that low voice, dangerous now again. "Just how far are you willing to go....to get what he so badly needs?"  
  
She couldn't believe this was happening. She wanted to run from the room and the dungeon as fast as she could, but she knew she couldn't. She forced herself again to picture the raging beast that Remus would become with the full moon if she couldn't get Snape to make the potion. She'd already been the cause of so much pain for Remus, surely she could do this to ease his troubles a little. After all, he would go to great lengths for her even now, she was sure.  
  
She sighed and looked at Snape. "I'll do whatever you wish." She sounded slightly defeated. " Just please help Remus."  
  
He was quiet for a moment, and she found the expression in the midnight gaze unreadable. His next question surprised her. "You care about him that much?"  
  
"Yes." She looked into the dark eyes, trying to determine exactly what was within them.  
  
"I see." He said softly, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose then, it must be a very great thing for you to care about someone even more." His steady gaze never wavered.  
  
Lorien was in shock and couldn't find a single word to say at first. Finally she spoke. "You know?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
Realization dawned on her. He'd just gauged how strong her feelings were for Remus, already knowing that she'd chosen him over the werewolf. "So you never really meant to make me.....convince you?"  
  
"Of course not." He said, a little amused.  
  
Lorien was unsure whether to be relieved or appalled, and found herself drifting toward angry again until he spoke. "Perhaps the time for anger has passed?" He spoke softly to her and took her hand in his.  
  
She settled for scolding him but she was finally starting to fight off a smile "You are an evil wizard, Severus Snape." She said, trying to sound indignant and not completely succeeding as the smile started to win.  
  
"At times." He sighed, smiling just a bit himself. He saw the confused look on her face now, and spoke again when she hesitated. "I had a conversation with Lupin."  
  
"You did?" She asked numbly.  
  
"Yes." Severus replied. "He came here not long ago and told me about your decision."  
  
"He did? Why?" Lorien couldn't imagine why Remus would have any reason to discuss her with Severus.  
  
"He wants you to be happy, and for some unfathomable reason, he thinks you'll forgive me." Snape averted his gaze a little.  
  
So Remus had gone to great lengths for her. She spoke quietly and laid her hand gently along the side of his face. "He's probably right."  
  
Snape drew her against him, intending to kiss her and then stopped. He spoke in a concerned manner when he gently pushed her away. "I truly regret my words the other day, Lorien. They were not coming from a rational mind at the time."  
  
"I know." She said. Lorien understood Snape's animosity toward Sirius, and how it had affected his treatment of her.  
  
"I'm not good at this." He said, looking away from her.  
  
"At what?" She asked. She knew what he was trying to get around to, and she fully intended to make him say the words.  
  
"At apologizing." He said, gritting his teeth just a little. "At dealing with my feelings, or anyone else's feelings."  
  
"You're apologizing?" She asked. She was damned if he wasn't actually going to say 'I'm sorry' after he'd already deviously lured her into revealing just how much she cared about him before risking exposing his own feelings.  
  
He looked back at her quickly and then away again. "I am." He replied. "I am truly sorry for how I treated you, Lorien. I know it's no excuse, but when I thought of you with....with HIM, I guess I just snapped."  
  
She was trying not to smile again at this point. "You care about me that much?"  
  
He swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes." He admitted softly.  
  
"And I suppose then, that it must be a very great thing for you to admit it." She said wryly.  
  
He finally looked into her eyes again. "You have no idea." He said stiffly. "Do you forgive me?" He asked, watching her carefully.  
  
"Of course." She kissed him tenderly for a moment and then looked at him with a mischievous smile.  
  
"What?" He asked when he saw the way she was looking at him.  
  
"Just this." She pressed herself against him and kissed him fiercely until he was sure that he might be too weak to stand.  
  
"Now," she said when she finally released him and stood up. "Will you make the wolfsbane potion for me?" She figured that kiss might go a long way toward convincing him.  
  
Snape stood as well. "Tonight?" He asked again. "I don't think so."  
  
"What?" Lorien gasped, unable to believe he was still refusing. "But, Severus..."  
  
He moved next to her and smiled slyly. "Do you really thinks it's necessary for me to make it two nights in a row?"  
  
Lorien's eyes went wide for a second and then she laughed. "You mean you already....?"  
  
"Yes." He answered her. "Besides, my dear," he said, bending suddenly and causing her to gasp a little as he swept her off her feet, "I have other plans for tonight."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: "The Potions Master's Other Plans."  
  
I found that I enjoyed writing this chapter so much, that I had trouble deciding if I should post it as it is here, or a bit more from Snape's POV, which I also found amusing. This version is PG-13, so it stays with the story, but I'm posting the Snape POV as a separate chapter on it's own, just for fun. It's upgraded to R, because it continues along into the bedroom, but no real smut. Just a little more naughty than I normally write. 


	13. Being Siriusly Forward

A/N: Rhiannon, - Welcome to the chocolate-loving, flag-waving, cannon- firing, fun little group that prowls the lands of AHN. Thanks for all the reviews.  
  
And to all of you that were brave enough to venture into The Potions Master's Other Plans, I hope that you found it was fun. (For all you diehard Remus fans, I at least made sure that I didn't leave you with a picture of Snape...how did Antinua put it?....starkers.) Thanks to all of you that reviewed there as well. You'll have noticed of course, that I was poking fun at Lorien (and myself) when I mentioned she was wearing blue underwear. It matches her blue nail polish. ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Being Siriusly Forward ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaneene, her brother and her cousins had each spent seven years at Hogwarts, but they couldn't believe all the places in the castle they never knew about as they saw the secret passages and rooms also outlined on the Marauder's Map.  
  
"This is unbelievable, Sirius." Keath commented as he watched the seven dots now gathered on the map labeled with each of their names. "Where did you ever get this?"  
  
"Oh, some friends." Sirius answered vaguely as he watched Kaneene speaking with Evan, who was the next oldest Moody.  
  
Evan nodded and Kaneene turned to Sirius. "We think that we should go and examine each of the secret passages to see about securing them. For now, at least."  
  
"It's probably a good idea." Sirius agreed with mixed feelings about sealing all the hidden tunnels that he knew like the back of his hand.  
  
"How many are there all together?" Asked Evan.  
  
"Seven," said Sirius, "but this one here is caved in from what I hear." He indicated the tunnel.  
  
"Ok. Evan, you and Dustan check this one and this one." Said Kaneene decisively. "Dixon, Brandon, you take these two. Keath and I will take these." She looked at Sirius. "You come with us."  
  
The group split up.  
  
  
  
  
  
The two Moodys and Sirius started with the passage that began at the whomping willow. After Sirius had shown them how to freeze the violent tree by poking the knot with a long stick, they crawled into the passageway. He explained to them where the passage came out, and together they agreed that this one should be sealed.  
  
Keath stayed behind to perform the charm and drew the yellow string across the passageway that was required for the spell, while Kaneene moved on with Sirius to the third floor.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Draco Malfoy was angry with his mother. Once more he had asked her that she allow him to be transferred from Hogwarts to Durmstrang, but she had refused again as she had the other times. He was finding it difficult to cope with the way the other students, including many of those from his own house, had been treating him since his father went to Azkaban.  
  
Even worse was the way they had acted toward him when his father had escaped, freed by the other Death Eaters and Voldemort himself.  
  
Draco wandered the halls aimlessly while he thought.  
  
It wasn't that he cared much what anyone else thought. He didn't, but it was the continual harassment and finger pointing that was beginning to wear on him.  
  
Fine. If he had to stay at Hogwarts, then so be it. He would make the most of it. The tide was turning and he knew it was only a matter of time before he found a way to make them pay. The Gryffindors, Snape, everyone that he felt had ever wronged him.  
  
Draco looked up as he heard voices nearing. He would have thought nothing of it until he heard a woman say something to 'Sirius.'  
  
Sirius Black was here on the third floor, but why? He wanted to find out. Looking around quickly as the voices drew nearer, Draco saw the empty classroom. He ducked inside, leaving the door ajar the tiniest amount.  
  
Black rounded the corner with the female auror and they walked halfway down the hall, almost to where he was in the classroom.  
  
"This one goes where again?" The woman whispered.  
  
"Honeydukes cellar." Black whispered back.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
They stood before the statue of the one eyed witch and Sirius stepped forward to speak the opening charm after he had looked carefully around. Kaneene peered past him to watch the statue slide open.  
  
"I'll go first." He said, and she watched as he barely squeezed himself through. He had remembered this being much easier as a teenager, but he still managed to slide neatly to the bottom and land on his feet. Realizing that Kaneene wouldn't be expecting the slide, he stood close to the bottom and called up to her.  
  
Kaneene could tell that Sirius had called something back to her, but his voice was a little muffled and sounded distant as she pressed through the opening herself. She called back to him as she stepped into the passage. "What did you....whoa!" Her feet went out from beneath her and she slid rapidly downwards.  
  
Sirius was peering back up the slide to see if he could tell what Kaneene was doing, and it was only a second or two before she collided with him and they ended up on the floor in a tumble.  
  
Kaneene groaned and then attempted to untangle herself. "Why didn't you tell me about that?" She asked indignantly.  
  
Sirius was on the floor beneath her laughing. "I did. I called back up to you." He continued to laugh.  
  
"It's not funny." She scolded him.  
  
"Are you hurt?" He asked, trying to seem less amused, and not succeeding very well.  
  
"No." She admitted, realizing he had broken her fall.  
  
"Well, then it's funny." He lay there still laughing as she hastily finished untangling herself, acutely aware of the fact that she was sprawled on top of him in a less than dignified way.  
  
Kaneene was aware of that fact too, and she hurried to roll off of him and get to her feet. "You have an odd sense of humor, Black." She said, dusting herself off a bit.  
  
He extended an arm upwards, signaling for her to help him up as he finally stopped laughing. She helped yank him to his feet, and he stood there close to her shaking his head and grinning. "I must be getting rusty," he said "to let an opportunity like that get by without doing anything about it."  
  
"What opportunity?" She asked, eyes narrowing a tiny bit.  
  
He gave her a calculating look. "You throwing yourself at me like that." He busied himself for a moment dusting the dirt off his robes.  
  
"Throwing myself?" She asked incredulously.  
  
He looked back up at her. "Yes, rather forward of you, don't you think, Miss Moody?" He was smiling and continuing to flirt.  
  
She smiled back and put her hands on her hips. "I was not being forward, Black. You thought that was being forward?"  
  
"Yes." He teased, giving her a roguish grin.  
  
"Oh no." Kaneene replied. "THIS is being forward." She grabbed a large handful of the front of his robes and pushed him back a step against the wall as she reached up and kissed him soundly for several long seconds. She let go and smiled at him as he stayed where he was with his eyes closed. "Clear on that?" she asked.  
  
"Perfectly." He croaked hoarsely.  
  
"Right. Off we go then." She made her way down the passage, leaving Sirius wondering how she'd gotten the better of him at his own game.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Draco could no longer hear the distant muffled voices and he ventured a couple of steps out into the hall. He knew the significance of what he had seen and heard, and he knew just what to do with the information.  
  
He decided that he was feeling a lot better about things when he finally left the third floor.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Monday night was when the headaches began. Remus was grading a large stack of essays at his desk, and he was finding it progressively more and more difficult to read anything. He struggled along for a while, but when he finally realized that he was reading the same passage on the parchment before him over and over without comprehending a thing, he pushed them aside and got up. He was going to have to find Lorien.  
  
She was in her rooms and looked up when he entered. "Looks like a bad one." She simply said when she saw the pained expression he wore, and she patted the couch next to her.  
  
Remus let himself drop weakly to sit next to her and was grateful as she placed her hands on him and made the headache recede.  
  
He looked at her when she took her hands away. "Thank you. Nothing seems to help like that."  
  
Lorien smiled, pleased that Remus was now feeling better. "Remus, please don't ever hesitate to ask for my help." She said.  
  
"I won't." He smiled. "I hope you do know how much I appreciate it."  
  
"I think I do. I have to tell you that I appreciate what you did for me as well. I'm sure it was a difficult conversation." She said. It was strange to bring that particular subject up, but she wanted him to know that she understood the lengths he had gone to for her.  
  
"With Ariel?" Remus asked. "Not really." He chuckled at the thought of the Slytherin Astronomy witch potentially trussed up in her tower.  
  
Lorien seemed a little surprised. "Wait, you talked to Sinistra?"  
  
He nodded in the awkward moment that it dawned on him she was speaking of his other conversation. "That's not what you were talking about, is it?"  
  
"No." Lorien shook her head. "I didn't know about Sinistra until just now."  
  
Remus looked down a little. "How do you know I spoke to him?" He definitely felt strange now that she knew he'd approached Snape on her behalf.  
  
Lorien shrugged. " He told me."  
  
"He did?" Remus asked incredulously. He never suspected that Snape would ever tell her.  
  
"Yes. Something about you knocking on his door in the middle of the night and calling him ...what was it?" She asked in an amused way. "Oh yes, a pathetic ass."  
  
Remus tried to defend himself. "I didn't call him a pathetic ass. I told him that he should get the hell off his pathetic ass and do something about you before he screwed things up for good."  
  
Lorien was smiling at the werewolf's defensive attitude. "Remus, I assure you that whatever it was that you called him does not begin to hold a candle to a few of the choice things that I called him."  
  
Remus finally laughed. "So, are things.....better?" He asked quietly. It was awkward still to talk to her about this.  
  
"Yes." She said softly. "Remus, about speaking to him? I would never have let you, had I known your intentions, but.....well, thank you." She put a hand on his.  
  
"You're...happy?" He asked.  
  
She hesitated to answer him, but then decided to be honest. "Yes."  
  
"I'm very glad." He said sincerely and smiled at her.  
  
"So, how are things going with Noah?" Lorien figured it was a not so obvious way to actually inquire about how things were going with Marlina.  
  
"Great. The last week went really well." Remus replied. "He likes his lessons, he loves Hermione and the other the tutors, and most of the staff are raving about how well behaved he is and how much they enjoy him. I agree that we needn't worry about him being sufficiently educated while he's at Hogwarts."  
  
"Marlina's happy?" Lorien asked casually.  
  
"She's thrilled. It seems to be a great weight off her mind." He replied.  
  
Lorien grinned, and could resist giving him a hard time no longer. "Thanks to the charming professor Remus Lupin coming to the rescue again." She teased.  
  
Remus felt his face getting very warm.  
  
Lorien laughed at him. "Oh, please. Stop being so embarrassed. I LIKE Marlina, Remus. I want you to be happy too. No one deserves to more." Lorien frowned suddenly and looked at him. "Remus, does she know?"  
  
He shook his head. "No. Not yet I don't think."  
  
"I have to tell you something, Remus." Lorien said, all of a sudden. "Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not trying to say anything bad about Marlina, but there's something very important you should know." She became quiet for a moment. "I think it's best if you know before she finds out."  
  
"What is it?" He asked in a concerned way.  
  
Lorien took a deep breath and let it back out. "It's about her husband." She began.  
  
Remus panicked. "She's got a husband? I thought she wasn't married, at least not anymore. She's not wearing a ring. Noah never talks about his father. Why didn't anyone tell me about the husband?"  
  
"Can I finish?" Lorien asked him, a bit irritated.  
  
"Sorry." Remus said, piping back down.  
  
Lorien continued her explanation. "Remus, Marlina's husband has been dead since just after Noah was born."  
  
"Oh. I see." He said quietly. "So what do you need to tell me about him?"  
  
Lorien didn't really want to tell him, but she felt it was best at this point if he knew. "He was killed when they both worked for the DRCMC."  
  
"She worked for the Ministry?" Remus asked. "I thought she worked at the zoo."  
  
"She worked at the zoo after the Ministry." Replied Lorien. "That's why she traveled so much." It took her a minute as he waited for her expectantly to be able to tell him about Marlina's past. "Remus, they both were part of the WCU." She said.  
  
Remus felt his blood go cold. He knew exactly what the WCU was, and he had a bad feeling about what Lorien was going to say next.  
  
"Remus," she gripped his hand again. "Marlin's husband was killed by a werewolf." It nearly broke her heart when she saw the defeated look cross his face at her news.  
  
He sat there for a long moment holding her hand tightly and staring blankly at the couch. Finally his eyes met hers. "She hates them, doesn't she?"  
  
"Yes, Remus," Lorien said. She didn't really want to admit it, but she knew he needed to know the truth. She tried to cheer him up a little. "But she doesn't hate you."  
  
"That's because she doesn't know yet." Remus said softly.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus kept looking at Sirius in an odd way and it was beginning to get on his nerves. "Moony, what?" He asked from where he sat, casually watching the labeled dots on the map in front of him.  
  
Remus perched on the edge of the desk as he spoke. "I talked to Lorien about Marlina today."  
  
Sirius looked up after noting where the dot labeled Kaneene Moody was. "That's nice."  
  
"Or I should say she talked to me." Remus replied, giving Sirius a meaningful look.  
  
"About what?" Sirius asked, not really sure what Lupin's point was.  
  
"About the fact that she used to be part of the WCU." Remus said.  
  
Sirius winced. "She finally told you, huh?"  
  
"You knew?" Remus started angrily. "You knew and you didn't tell me?"  
  
Sirius frowned at Remus. "Look, I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but you never would have ever let yourself go anywhere near her or Noah, and think how much you'd be missing out on."  
  
Remus knew he was right. "I'm going to have to tell her, Padfoot. If, that is, she doesn't find out some other way." He sighed. "You'll be there tomorrow?"  
  
Sirius nodded.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina kept glancing in the direction of Remus's classroom as she locked hers up for the day, and frowned when he didn't appear. He often waited for her and walked with her to get Noah at the end of classes, and he seemed to have disappeared this afternoon.  
  
"Well, he can't spend all of his time escorting you around," she said to herself, figuring he probably had a lot to do to prepare for the upcoming Defense exam he was giving.  
  
At dinner Marlina was still disappointed not to see Remus. It just wasn't like him to disappear like this and she was beginning to get concerned. Maybe something was wrong. She wanted to go and find him after dinner, but decided that it would be best not to bring Noah with her, and she wouldn't leave him alone in her rooms. She resolved to find Remus in the morning if she hadn't seen him by then to make sure he was alright.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien was up at the crack of dawn and knocked on Remus's door after the sun had risen. She knew he would probably be in rough shape this morning and she wanted to do what she could to help.  
  
Sirius unlocked the door and peeked out. He smiled when he saw it was just Lorien and he let her in. "Good morning." He said quietly.  
  
"Good morning, Sirius." She replied, and then she turned to where Remus still lay on the floor.  
  
He sat up slowly and held his head in his hands, and glanced up when the witch was kneeling next to him along with Sirius.  
  
"Hi." He said hoarsely.  
  
"Hi, yourself." She said. "Sirius let's get him to bed." The two of them helped Remus to his feet and into the bedroom.  
  
Lorien sat on the edge of the bed as Sirius spoke. "You'll look after his headache?"  
  
"Yes." She said, acknowledging Sirius without looking at him. Her attention was now on Remus.  
  
"Alright. I'll be back later to check on you, Moony." Sirius said to Remus, and he waved once as he walked to the door.  
  
Remus smiled weakly and managed a nod before Sirius left.  
  
"Ready?" Lorien asked the exhausted looking werewolf.  
  
"You have no idea." He said, in obvious discomfort.  
  
Lorien placed her hands on his forehead and made the headaches recede once more. She could see Remus visibly relax as the pain faded, and he sank back against the pillow with relief.  
  
Lorien spoke quietly as he looked back at her. "Bad this time, huh?"  
  
"Yes." He said tiredly. "It varies from moon to moon."  
  
"You should get some sleep." She said, as she brushed his hair out of his eyes unconsciously, and then suddenly she regretted the gesture of affection in case he misunderstood.  
  
He opened his eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's ok, Lorien." He winked. at her, and she knew it was alright.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina raised her hand to knock on Remus's door the next morning and was startled when the door suddenly pulled opened. She was even more surprised when she saw that it was Lorien who stood in the open doorway looking as surprised as she felt.  
  
"M-marlina." Lorien stammered and then recovered. "What are you doing here?" She tried to ask pleasantly.  
  
Marlina tried to glance around Lorien as she answered. "I came to check on Remus. Is he alright?"  
  
Lorien stepped into the hallway, quickly pulling the door closed behind her. "He's fine Marlina. Just a little under the weather."  
  
"He's sick?" Marlina asked, sounding concerned. "Is there anything I can do?"  
  
"No, thanks. I have it all under control." Lorien saw the way Marlina's eyes kept going back to the door and she took the other woman by the arm in a sisterly manner and led her away. "He really just needs to rest. He'll be fine."  
  
Marlina wasn't stupid and she knew that Lorien was keeping her from going to Remus for a reason. - what she mistakenly thought was an obvious reason.  
  
"Lorien, I'm sorry." She said, turning just a bit red. "I didn't mean to intrude. I was just worried, that's all."  
  
"Intrude?" Lorien asked, wondering what prompted the woman to say that.  
  
"Yes. I didn't realize that you and Remus were...together." Marlina said quietly.  
  
Lorien saw how it could look that way to the woman that found her leaving Remus's chambers so early in the morning. She laughed. "Oh no. I assure you that I was here strictly in an official capacity." Lorien said. "Well, and as his friend." She smiled warmly at the red haired witch.  
  
"I see." Marlina found that she was quite relieved that the blonde healer was only a good friend to Remus and she continued the conversation as they walked. "He thinks a lot of you, Lorien. You and Sirius. I can tell how important the two of you are to him when he speaks of you."  
  
"I feel the same way about him." Lorien informed her. "He's just about the best friend anyone could ask for."  
  
"I'm getting that feeling." Said Marlina as the two women walked along together. "He's been so incredibly nice to me and to Noah. He's really a wonderful person."  
  
"That he is." Lorien agreed. She turned and looked Marlina in the eye. "You really like him don't you, Marlina?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, of course. Who doesn't?" Marlina asked, turning a slightly darker shade of pink.  
  
Lorien leaned toward the red head in a conspiratorial way. "I meant do you LIKE him?" She smiled as she saw the woman blush. "Oh, it's just us girls. You can tell me. I promise not to say anything." She said reassuringly.  
  
Marlina decided to trust her and nodded. "I have to admit it, and he's so wonderful with Noah. My son adores him." She smiled at Lorien a little shyly and then laughed. "He's really cute too, don't you think?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely." Lorien agreed, honestly. "And very smart." She added. "He's quite talented really."  
  
Marlina laughed again. "How on earth has some witch not got her hands on him?"  
  
Lorien shrugged as they walked along together. "I think he just hadn't found the right one yet."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: For those of you who don't know, Irene is posting a translation of WWS in Spanish. Up to chapter 11 so far - Remus finds out about sex and the single werewolf. It's called 'Una Bruja, un Lobo, y una Serpiente. From what I can tell, the reviews indicate that the readers think she's doing a great job, and the reactions have pretty much been the same otherwise. 


	14. The Housekeeping Chapter

A/N: rampage786 - thanks and welcome to chapter 14, where we do a little bit of tidying things up.  
  
Antinua -must it be a Bartlett pear, or is Anjou acceptable?  
  
deSevera - Forget about Snape? Me? Huh! Wait until next chapter.  
  
Ctina - *waives enthusiastically back*!!  
  
Atheis - Your reviews always amuse me, not just with the dream. ;)  
  
Draco luver - Puke yellow and sea blue? Eeewww.  
  
Snapefan51 - You were late, for me? Awww.  
  
Jig - You have no idea of what ran through my head with the Little Red Riding Hood comment. Hmmm, that could prove to be interesting a bit later...  
  
Cqueen - ok, back to L/S this chapter.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Housekeeping Chapter ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus was feeling a lot better later in the day. He was still tired, but not having to deal with three or four days of migraines went a long way in helping him recover quicker.  
  
It was a great comfort to have Lorien and Sirius around him, and Remus was beginning to see that they were falling into the realm of friendship better than he'd expected at first. He wanted to do something else to thank her, not out of a sense of indebtedness, but just to acknowledge the favor. He laughed when he realized he had run out of Slytherins to threaten for her.  
  
Remus suddenly had an idea as the thought crossed his mind, and he smiled to himself and went to see Forsythia Sprout.  
  
Sprout had been able to get him what he needed in a matter of hours, and Remus penned a quick thank you to give to the house elf as well. He intentionally didn't seal the note, and after the house elf left he laughed for the longest time.  
  
He was still laughing when Sirius came in and looked at him like he must have finally gone off the deep end.  
  
"What on earth is so damn funny, Moony?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape went to his chambers when he grew tired of grading potions exams in his office and flung the door open and closed. He walked quickly toward the bedroom and then suddenly turned to look at what he had just seen out of the corner of his eye.  
  
On the small table near his favorite armchair was a stunning arrangement of flowers. A vase full of tall elegant blues spires sat there with a note sitting beside it.  
  
Snape looked puzzled and wondered if she had indeed sent them. Why would she do that? He picked up the note, opened it and read it.  
  
  
  
Dear Lorien, Thank you for everything.  
  
Love always, Remus.  
  
  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed briefly and then it hit him. Lupin had purposely sent the flowers for Lorien to the dungeon as a payback. Snape replaced the note where Lorien would see it later and sat in the chair for a while contemplating the arrangement of lupines, and at long last he finally found the whole thing quite amusing.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina and Noah were relieved to see Remus was feeling better that evening when he came by to say hello.  
  
"Mom was worried 'cause you were sick." Noah volunteered.  
  
Remus smiled as Marlina looked a little embarrassed and replied to the small boy. "Well, it's no big deal. I'm all better now."  
  
"Good." Noah said cheerfully.  
  
"You must have been pretty sick, huh?" Marlina asked.  
  
"Yes. Migraine." He said. 'Partly the truth', Remus thought, guiltily.  
  
"I had an aunt that suffered from migraines." Said Marlina. "She said they could be really debilitating, and that it was difficult to find a potion that helped without putting her into a deep sleep for a day and a half."  
  
"That's exactly my problem." Another half truth. Marlina nodded understandingly and Remus knew she didn't suspect. Yet.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius had a lot on his mind with the new concerns about security, and the decision that they had made to at least temporarily seal all the secret tunnels with powerful charms. All but the one on the third floor that they figured might be used for their own benefit.  
  
Even though he needed to consider several other matters at hand, his thoughts went to Kaneene again and the incident in the tunnel.  
  
It wasn't so much that he was surprised it happened, he was relieved it happened. The two of them had obviously struck up a rapport from the night she'd discovered he was innocent, and it had continued through the winter as she had made it a point to see him through as much of the Ministry inquisition as possible.  
  
Sirius had been pretty sure that things were headed along those lines, but he had wanted to be absolutely sure before he did anything about it. Partly he didn't want to offend Kaneene, although her carefree flirting had been telling him she was probably thinking some of the same things he had.  
  
Mostly it had been the fact that if he was wrong and stepped out of line with the green-eyed witch, he might also have to deal with five angry aurors named Moody. Probably six angry aurors named Moody. It gave Sirius the willies to think of being confronted by her uncle, and he shivered as he wondered how he got himself into these situations.  
  
And then he laughed. By kissing him the way she did she let him know he was off the hook. And the way she'd kissed him.... Sirius thought about it and shivered again for a very different reason.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In a dark place very far away from Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy stood before Voldemort and waited quietly for the dark lord's reaction to the information he'd just delivered to him.  
  
"You're sure of this?" The cold voice finally asked from where the dark lord stood looking out a window with his hands clasped together behind his back.  
  
"Yes, Master. It came from a most reliable source." Malfoy replied humbly, keeping his eyes slightly averted even though Voldemort wasn't looking at him.  
  
"Reliable? How reliable?" Came the next question from the window.  
  
"My son." Was all Malfoy said.  
  
"I see." Voldemort answered distantly. He was thoughtful for several long minutes before he finally answered Malfoy. "Well then, we shall have to find a way to take advantage of your son's....usefulness." He said.  
  
"Yes, my Lord." Malfoy said respectfully, bowing lower. He couldn't help but be pleased at the information that Draco had been able to provide them.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was Madame Pomfrey's night to be on call and Lorien was glad to have the evening off. It hadn't been a particularly busy day since most of the students were taking exams in many of their classes, and had been too busy studying to get into much trouble, either in the classroom or outside of it, but she was glad anyway. She planned to spend the evening with Severus.  
  
Lorien turned in front of the mirror to inspect her choice of wardrobe, fixed her hair a little and smiled to herself. She looked at the time and grabbed a heavier robe since the dungeon was always quite a bit colder than the floor where her rooms were.  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape was back in his office grading the endless piles of potions exams on his desk. He hated when he had several years that had exams at the same time, but it usually worked out that way, and he had meticulously separated the parchment into piles by year and then by which had been graded and which had not.  
  
He didn't look up from what he was doing when the knock came. "Enter." He called, irritated at being disturbed. He wanted to get through this. Lorien came in and shut the door behind her. He didn't look up. He knew it was her.  
  
"Something you need, Lorien?" He asked impatiently as he scrawled a scathing comment on a third year's exam.  
  
"No." She answered. "I just came to see how you were doing with your grading."  
  
"As you can see, I'm still in the middle of it." He was picking up the next page.  
  
Lorien stood in near the door and smiled as she watch him at his desk, quill in hand, buried in piles of exams to grade. The fire in the fireplace was roaring and Lorien hung the heavy robe she was wearing up near the door, and turned back to look at him with a mischievous smile while he wrote.  
  
She spoke to him after a minute as he continued to ignore her and write. "I thought maybe you'd like to take a break." She said casually.  
  
He continued to write without so much as a glance in her direction. "I will take a break if I feel that I need one, which at the present time I.....DO.....NOT." He punctuated each of his last words with a dot on an "I" or cross on a "T" and placed the exam in one of the done piles. He picked up the next one.  
  
Lorien stood in front of his desk, amused by the fact that he hadn't even looked up, and was obviously irritated that she was there interrupting him. He continued to write so she sat in the chair in front of his desk. "Are you sure I couldn't....convince you?" She asked.  
  
Snape was in no mood for games and he slapped the quill down in exasperation. He spoke to her sharply. "Lorien, I think it's quite clear that....." He stopped dead when he looked up at her.  
  
She was sitting before him draped over the chair, wearing all black again, and very little of it. She smiled as she saw she finally had his attention.  
  
Lorien spoke again as she watched him get up and move around the desk to stand before her. She looked up at him. "I thought you didn't need a break." She teased as he pulled her gently out of the chair by her arms.  
  
He said nothing but looked her over from head to toe and then suddenly he was kissing her fiercely.  
  
She teased him again somewhat breathlessly when he stopped. "What about the exams?" She asked innocently.  
  
He moved quickly, and Lorien was surrounded by a flurry of parchment as she suddenly found herself on the desk where the neat stacks of paper used to be. Severus was kissing her insistently as he leaned over her and after a moment he spoke. "I suppose you know this means I'll have to spend part of my weekend grading exams?" He growled softly.  
  
She nodded as she smiled at him.  
  
He smiled back at her. "You are an evil witch, Lorien Desjardins."  
  
"At times." She sighed.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next few weeks at Hogwarts went by quickly as the students finished their first round of exams.  
  
Lorien fell into the habit of finishing her paperwork for the day in her office or rooms, and then often joined Severus for the remainder of the evening in his chambers. One might have expected that this constituted a familiar routine, but there was nothing routine about dealing with the surly potions master.  
  
There were evenings when he seemed to openly welcome her company, and on many of these they sat for hours together talking and drinking wine. (Red, of course) On other nights he seemed distant and distracted and it took her a little time to get used to the fact that it didn't necessarily mean he didn't want her there. Now she would often sit quietly and read something she had brought with her, or something from his own numerous bookshelves and just remain in his company quietly until the mood passed.  
  
He seemed to appreciate being left to himself at these times, and she found that his episodes of aloofness seemed to pass quicker if she left him unmolested about it.  
  
There were other things that made her now more intimate relationship with Snape challenging as well. His sleeping habits were something she was not prepared for, and they were something else that she was forced to confront in the time that she began spending some entire nights in the dungeon.  
  
The problem never presented itself when they first retired, as often they were romantically engaged, and Lorien usually found herself drifting off to sleep in the embrace of the black haired wizard. The difficulty came later, often in the middle of the night when the nightmares or insomnia that plagued him frequently manifested themselves.  
  
One of the first nights that Lorien encountered this new problem she had been asleep for some time but not soundly. He had been restless for a while and she was vaguely aware of him tossing and turning next to her. It was actually when she realized for a few moments that he had stopped that she opened her eyes.  
  
She was startled when she looked to see if he was awake and found him propped up on one elbow staring at her.  
  
"What are you doing?" She asked sleepily. "Is everything alright?" She could barely make out the black eyes in the darkness but she could tell he gazed at her steadily.  
  
"Everything is fine." He said softly.  
  
"Why are you awake? It's late isn't it?" She asked, not convinced that he was ok.  
  
He smiled a little at her concern. "It is very late, Sylvanesti."  
  
Lorien snuggled in closer to him. "This is the third night you've been awake, Severus."  
  
"I know." He said. "I hope that I am not disturbing your own sleep too much."  
  
"That's not what I was getting at." She said, more awake now that they were talking. "Tell me what's wrong?" She asked.  
  
"I would rather focus more on what's right, for the time being." He said softly, avoiding her query.  
  
"Is it me? Did I do something? Does it disturb your sleep to have me here?" Lorien was still worried.  
  
He laughed a little. "No, my inability to sleep has nothing to do with you, although I dare say the fact that I am getting to sleep much later these nights is quite your fault."  
  
She smiled in the dark and pressed tighter against him and he put his arm over her. "Will you tell me when you're ready?" She asked.  
  
"Perhaps." Was as much as he'd say about it, and Lorien had to be content with that answer for the time.  
  
He could tell that she was drifting off to sleep again and he held her close until he felt her breathing become slow and steady, and went back to watching her as she slept. It helped a good deal to have her here, and he knew that he should tell her that.  
  
It really was also now the reason he wasn't sleeping much and possibly wouldn't be for some time. He had sworn off the addictive sleeping potion that he often resorted to on nights like these the moment Lorien had started sharing his bed.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry met with Lorien in an empty classroom again so that they wouldn't disturb Poppy while she was treating students.  
  
"We're going to try something a little different this time, Harry." Lorien began. " I think in order to give you a better feel for the summoning that we'll try doing it together."  
  
"Really?" Harry was very curious. "How are we going to do that?"  
  
"It's a way of bonding that my mentor found worked well with me a few times." Lorien replied. She hesitated for a moment and then gave Harry an example. "You remember the night in the hospital wing when Professor Snape..." She hesitated for a second and then went on. "....almost died?"  
  
Harry nodded. How could he forget? He remembered the night vividly.  
  
"It was the phoenix tears, as well as the bond with Fawkes that enhanced the fire spell that saved him." She explained. "Are you willing to try it?"  
  
"Definitely." Harry said, but realized that now something was nagging at him, and furrowed his brow a bit.  
  
"It's going to require you to relinquish a bit of control at first, so you're going to have to trust me." Said Lorien. "Ok?"  
  
Harry hesitated for just a moment. He certainly trusted Lorien and appreciated the fact that she was willing to take time to help him with all of this, but the one reservation he had about her was everything that had happened with Remus. And of course, Snape.  
  
"What is it, Harry?" Lorien asked, seeing the look he was wearing now.  
  
"Nothing." He replied softly.  
  
"If we're going to develop a relationship of trust, you're going to have to let me know when something is bothering you." Lorien said kindly.  
  
Harry sighed. "It's about Remus."  
  
"I see." Lorien said quietly. "I'm sorry if that makes things a little awkward for you. I know that with all the time you spend with Sirius, that you and Ron and Hermione know a good deal about what happened."  
  
Harry nodded but said nothing.  
  
"Is that it?" She asked, knowing it wasn't.  
  
"I guess so." He replied, looking at his feet.  
  
"Really?" Lorien asked. "Or is it more that you're uncomfortable about Professor Snape?"  
  
Harry looked grateful that she was the one to broach the unpleasant subject.  
  
"Harry, I know that you don't have the most amicable relationship with him, but I assure you his opinions are his own, and I don't necessarily share his views on a lot of things," Lorien smiled at him. "You included."  
  
Harry returned the smile, and then looked concerned again for a moment. "He must not be happy that you're helping me."  
  
"Does it matter?" She asked.  
  
Harry thought about it. Did it matter that Snape wouldn't like him studying Nemorosi magic with Lorien? He decided that he'd spend all of his time worrying if he was always concerned about what the unpleasant potions master didn't like concerning him. "No." He finally answered.  
  
"Don't you worry about Professor Snape. I'll deal with him if he gives you more of a hard time because of it." Lorien tried to reassure the young wizard.  
  
"I'm not really worried about that, I'm used to dealing with Sn...Professor Snape. I was more concerned that he might be unhappy with you." Harry admitted. He didn't care if it upset Snape, but he didn't really want Lorien to suffer as a consequence.  
  
Lorien laughed. "Don't even trouble yourself about that, Harry. I'm used to dealing with him as well." She rolled her eyes a little.  
  
Harry laughed and found that he was feeling a lot better.  
  
"Shall we go to work?" Lorien asked.  
  
Harry was finally excited. "Definitely!"  
  
"Ok. We need to paint a very vivid picture of the winds for you, Harry. Have you ever seen a hurricane?" Lorien asked.  
  
Harry thought about her question for a moment "No. Only pictures and television." He answered.  
  
Lorien nodded, having encountered muggle t.v. several times in Boston. She went on to describe the devastation of the gale force winds that she had seen while living along the New England coast.  
  
"Now keep that picture and close your eyes." She instructed, stepping immediately in front of the young wizard.  
  
Harry complied and waited for her next instructions.  
  
"I'm going to put a hand on your head." She warned him so as not to startle him. Her eyes went to his scar as she laid her fingers on his forehead, and she closed her own eyes in concentration.  
  
When she felt that they were on the same plane, she removed her hand. "Let's do this together."  
  
They went through the components of the summoning spell together, and as they invoked the north and final wind, Harry could feel it coming a second or two before the door slammed open.  
  
The blast flew into the room causing chairs to slide across the floor and parchment to scatter everywhere. Harry felt it pull wildly at his robes, and swirl past him and throughout the room. The blackboard rocked on its legs a little and Harry looked at Lorien as she spoke again.  
  
"I'm going to let go." She told him, and she broke her concentration completely.  
  
The gale they had conjured was more than Harry could hold on his own at this point, but it was several seconds before it died down to a light breeze that gently ruffled his hair.  
  
"Finite incantatum." Harry ended the spell.  
  
"Well done, Harry!" Lorien was excited and grabbed the boy in a quick hug. "That was very well done." She repeated as she released him.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Well done, indeed." Came the voice from the doorway.  
  
Harry and Lorien looked up to see the headmaster smiling at them from the opening. "I was nearly blown over by the gale you two called down the hallway when I stepped out of Professor McGonagall's office, so naturally I had to investigate."  
  
"Did you see him hold the winds for a bit before they died?" Lorien asked Dumbledore proudly.  
  
"I most certainly did." The older wizard said distantly. "Seeing you invoke the Calling of the Winds brings back such fond memories of a time long ago..." Dumbledore said, a bit dreamily.  
  
Lorien and Harry looked at each other and then back at the headmaster.  
  
"You learned the call the winds too?" Harry asked, sounding quite surprised. He realized after a minute that he probably shouldn't be surprised by anything that Dumbledore knew. After all, you had time to learn an awful lot over that many years.  
  
The blue eyes met his. "Yes, yes." Dumbledore said softly. "Although I was quite a bit older than you are now, young Harry." He smiled again. "Not to say that it wasn't still a very long time ago."  
  
Lorien looked at Harry again and then back at Dumbledore. "Headmaster," She began hesitantly, "would you consider...."  
  
"I'd be delighted." Dumbledore said, always happy to help with a lesson. "I may be a bit rusty, though, so bear with an old wizard."  
  
Harry doubted that despite his great age, Dumbledore was rusty at anything.  
  
Lorien and Harry took a couple of steps back as the headmaster cleared his throat and spoke the necessary incantation. With the final word of the summoning, Harry realized that not only could he feel the wind coming this time, he could hear it. A great rushing noise was whistling down the hall, and Harry braced himself, excitedly anticipating the blast that was going to hit the classroom.  
  
A cry was heard from the hallway as the noise drew rapidly closer - evidently someone (it sounded like McGonagall) had stepped into the hallway at an inopportune time, and had been blown into the wall.  
  
Harry winced a little and then smiled at the noise, and then the blast rushed through the doorway, sweeping the headmaster's robes into a flurry around him and then slamming Harry back against the wall. The blackboard toppled over completely and Lorien hung onto the nearby desk frantically as she laughed amidst a blizzard of parchment. Harry's glasses were blown askew as he tried to peel himself off the wall, and after a minute longer, Dumbledore waved his hand and silenced the gale.  
  
Harry reached up and tried to smooth his hair which was now more untidy than usual as he stepped away from the wall, and looked to the headmaster.  
  
Dumbledore grinned a little. "It would seem as though perhaps I'm not as out of practice as I had feared." He said, perhaps the slightest mischief in his voice.  
  
Lorien was straightening her own hair and robes, and stepped out from behind the desk. "Thank you for that remarkable demonstration, Professor Dumbledore." She said. It was obvious by the look in her eyes that she was more than impressed.  
  
The headmaster smiled behind his half-moon glassed. "Harry, I think it's good that you are pursuing this gift of yours, and I would like to encourage you to continue to take advantage of Mistress Lorien's instruction."  
  
"I want to very much." Agreed Harry, especially after seeing what Dumbledore had just done.  
  
"Well, I'll leave you to your lesson. I assume that Professor Vector's classroom will be back in order for tomorrow?" The blue eyes twinkled as he spoke.  
  
  
  
Lorien spoke first when Dumbledore had left. "Shall we call it a night?"  
  
Harry was reluctant for the lesson to end, but it occurred to him as he stood there that he was quite tired. "I think so."  
  
He looked at Lorien for a minute. "I'd like to thank you for taking the time to help me with this. I want you to know how much I appreciate it."  
  
"I'm happy to do it, Harry." Lorien smiled at the teenager as he headed for the door.  
  
Harry hesitated at the entrance for a minute. "So, how do I say thank you?" He asked.  
  
Lorien looked at him curiously. "Doci." She answered.  
  
Harry nodded and smiled. "Well, then Doci, Sylvani atora." He said and then he was gone.  
  
Lorien stopped in her tracks. It was the first time that anyone had addressed her in the same way she addressed her own mentor, and she was touched by Harry's gesture. She took one last look around to make sure that the room was neat, and headed to the dungeon for the evening.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N : Now the title makes more sense. I updated Remus, Remus/Marlina/Noah, Sirius/Kaneene, Voldemort, Lorien/Severus, and Harry's lessons, with a smidgen of Dumbledore thrown in for good measure, all in one chapter. Whew! 


	15. Confessions of a Death Eater

A/N: deSevera - genius? 20 points to Slytherin!  
  
Ariana - All questions will eventually be answered. :D  
  
Bobbi - glad to see that you're hanging in there with us!  
  
Jig - you can always come to Maine to see it with me.  
  
Lauren - thank you and welcome to the chapter of major angst!  
  
  
  
Quote of the week, in honor of CoS opening this weekend:  
  
"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" - Ron to Hermione in Chamber of Secrets.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Confessions of a Death Eater ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
'She's uncertain if she likes him, but she knows she really loves him....' - D. Bowie  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape was in his rooms that evening, contemplating his relationship that was evolving with Lorien, and he knew that she would be here soon to spend the remainder of the evening with him. It wasn't that he didn't look forward to her visit, he certainly did, but he frowned to himself for just a moment as he thought of the problems that were nagging at him.  
  
Lorien and he had yet to discuss his past in any great detail, but he knew ultimately it was a conversation that they were going to have. He dreaded the thought of telling her about it, and he worried that she might not feel the same way about him once she knew the entire truth. Not, of course, that he'd blame her.  
  
The other problem involved Halloween. Lorien and he had not spoken much about what had happened that night on the Ministry roof, and he knew it was inevitable that they were going to have to discuss the fact that Ian Fincastle was dead.  
  
Well, not so much that Fincastle was dead, but more the fact that Snape had killed him.  
  
  
  
  
  
It was obvious to Snape that Lorien was in a good mood as she came to his rooms that night and greeted him warmly.  
  
"Good evening, Severus." She said cheerfully, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
He put his arms around her. "What, may I ask, has put you in such a good frame of mind tonight?"  
  
Lorien suddenly realized that telling him the reason she was in a good mood was because of the progress she was making with Harry Potter did not seem like a good idea. "Oh, I just had a really good day." She replied casually.  
  
"I see." He bent and started kissing her neck. "And what is it that you suddenly decided that you were not going to share with me?" He asked with a hint of suspicion.  
  
"Stop that." She said without meaning it.  
  
"Stop? I don't recall hearing that from you before." He mused as he continued. "Is there some great secret?" He persisted.  
  
Lorien sighed. "No. You just wouldn't like my answer."  
  
Snape could tell by the tone of her voice that she was serious, and he held her at arms length to look at her. "What?" He asked, suspicious that this could have something to do with Remus Lupin.  
  
"It's about Harry Potter." She said quietly, knowing how he was going to react already.  
  
Wrong Gryffindor, but still annoying as hell. Something in his eyes darkened as he spoke. "Potter? What does Potter have to do with anything?"  
  
Lorien knew that this might get ugly. "He's shown a great potential for doing wandless magic, and I....."  
  
"You couldn't resist the chance to step in and play mentor, could you?" Snape cut her off with his question. "How typical of a Ravenclaw." He sneered at her.  
  
She tried to hold her ground. "He needs guidance, Severus. I've been trying....."  
  
He cut her off again sharply. "What he needs, Lorien, is for you to stop treating him like a prima donna, and realize how arrogant and reckless he can be."  
  
"Stop it!" Lorien was frustrated. "Severus, I know you don't like Harry, and I don't care. I don't care that you don't like Remus or Sirius or Harry's father, or any of that, but I do care when you try to influence what I think."  
  
He wasn't going to back down from her. "Well, while we're on the subject of annoying and arrogant Gryffindors, and we're being so candid, I might as well tell you that I don't care for you spending time with those two either." He snarled at her and let go.  
  
She held her temper in check with an effort and tried to speak evenly. She knew what a touchy subject they had just stumbled onto. "I know you don't like it, but Remus and Sirius are good friends, and nothing is going to change that. There's no reason why I can't feel the way I do about you and not still maintain my friendship with them."  
  
She moved closer again and spoke more softly, choosing a different tactic. "I chose to be with you because of how strongly I feel about you, Severus." She said gently, but then her voice took on a pained quality. "Please don't make me choose between you again."  
  
Snape was ready with another caustic remark as she had started speaking, but when she declared her feelings openly it left him speechless.  
  
'Say something you idiot!' He thought to himself. 'Apologize to her. Tell her how you feel.' He said nothing.  
  
Lorien could tell he was struggling with something and she placed her hands on his. "Did you hear what I said?" She asked.  
  
"Yes." His voice wavered as he answered.  
  
She looked into the ebony eyes and saw something there she had never seen in him before. It flickered across for only a fleeting moment and then it was gone, but she had glimpsed enough of it to know what it was. It was fear.  
  
Lorien moved to put her arms around him. "It's alright." She said as she embraced him, and laid her head on his chest. She felt him hesitantly put his arms back around her. "I do love you, Severus." She said softly.  
  
"Lorien..." He could only manage her name.  
  
"Does that scare you?" She asked as she held him.  
  
"Yes." He admitted. Terrified him was more like it. He wasn't familiar with being the object of such strong attachment.  
  
"I understand." She said quietly, listening to the quickened pace of the heart beneath the black robes.  
  
He finally raised the courage to say something to her. "Do you want to know what scares me even more?" His voice was barely more than a whisper.  
  
She tightened her embrace. "Yes. Tell me."  
  
He rested his cheek against her head a little before he answered her. Merlin's beard! He was actually going to say this. "The thought of losing you." He replied.  
  
"Why would you lose me, Severus? I don't have plans to go anywhere." Lorien said reassuringly.  
  
Snape hesitated and then finally spoke again. "I'm more concerned that I'll scare you away. There are things that you still don't know...." He trailed off, losing a little of his nerve.  
  
Lorien felt a familiar but unwelcome feeling of dread creeping up on her, and it reminded her of the night she found out he was a Death Eater. She knew that this must have to do with that same topic as well. They'd never discussed it and she knew they needed to.  
  
"We need to talk, don't we?" She asked stepping back and looking up at him.  
  
He only nodded, and his eyes flicked in the direction of the fireplace, indicating that they should sit.  
  
Lorien took her chair and moved it closer to his and then sat down. They sat in silence together for a few moments, and she drew a deep breath and then released it. "Do you want to tell me or should I ask?"  
  
Snape answered as he looked into the fire. "It would be best if you asked what you feel you need to know." He didn't want to volunteer any more detail than was absolutely necessary.  
  
Lorien drew her legs up underneath her and sat curled up in the chair for several long minutes, toying with a ring and deciding where to begin. This was not going to be easy for either one of them. She watched Severus staring into the fire for a moment and decided to get it over with.  
  
"Severus?"  
  
"Yes?" He answered without looking at her.  
  
"How long were you a Death Eater?" She began with the easiest question for both of them to deal with.  
  
He answered in a detached manner, still gazing into the fire. "Almost three years."  
  
Lorien nodded. That made sense. He'd probably joined their ranks when he left Hogwarts, and she knew that he'd already defected back to the other side by the time Voldemort fell. "But, part of that time you were a spy for Dumbledore?" She asked.  
  
"Not long enough." He said hoarsely.  
  
Lorien braced herself for the next question. She tried to word it delicately. "Did you ever hurt anyone?" She ventured.  
  
His eyes went to her briefly and then back to the fire. Damn. They should have opened a bottle of wine. No, something stronger. Something mind-numbingly strong that would have made telling her the truth easier. "Hurt?" He asked. "Do you mean rape, torture, kill? Be specific, Lorien." He said somewhat bitterly.  
  
Fine, she'd be specific. She swallowed hard and went on. Where did you start with something like this? "Have you ever raped anyone, Severus?" Her voice sounded weak and unsteady.  
  
"Huh." He snorted. "No." Was all he said.  
  
'Okay, that's at least something.' Lorien thought to herself. "Have you tortured anyone?" She asked next, surprised that the next question came out so easily. She might as well have been asking his favorite color. It was a ridiculous question anyway...  
  
"Yes." He replied without looking at her still.  
  
Lorien felt herself cringe with the single word answer. It was his first admission in front of her and it brought the reality of the situation home to roost. Lorien's heart rate quickened and she tried to keep her voice steady without much success. "Why?" She asked. It was the first thing she now needed to know.  
  
He ran a hand back through his hair. "I was instructed to. We often had need of information that certain captives of ours had, and it seems that I developed a talent for...extracting it."  
  
She pressed her fingers to her temples for a moment, trying to deal with this answer, before going on. How bad was this going to get? She knew that he'd probably done some awful things, after all, what Death Eater hadn't? Still, hearing the answers coming from the man she had become so attached to was thoroughly upsetting. She braced herself and spoke. "You used the Cruciatus curse?" She asked, hearing the voice in her head repeatedly begging 'no, no...say no.'  
  
"Rarely."  
  
Not what she'd hoped for.  
  
She knew that her face dropped when he answered. She was doing her best to discuss this rationally, but the thought that they weren't speaking of someone else, that they were actually speaking of what the man sitting before her had done, was starting to unnerve her.  
  
Snape continued, briefly. "Mostly it was used by others for sport." He spat the last word. "It really is quite useless when it comes to intelligence gathering. It often leaves the victim too incapacitated to be...useful." He knew from experience what the curse was like.  
  
"I see." She said, very quietly. "Did you..." Merlin, she hated to ask this. No, she DREADED asking this. "Did you enjoy it?" She heard the words leave her lips before she was ready for the answer, but then again, when would that ever be?  
  
"Interrogating aurors?" He laughed a little without mirth. "I guess you could say it wasn't so much that I enjoyed it as I took great satisfaction in a job well done." He sneered as he spoke, and Lorien could tell by his eyes that it was mostly at himself.  
  
Lorien nodded, feeling her throat tighten, and she had to compose herself before going to the next question. This was getting worse and worse, and she didn't have the nerve to ask for the details that he obviously wasn't volunteering. Maybe that was best for now. It was already rattling her that Severus had been capable of such things. It was now becoming painfully apparent that the man she found so intriguing, so brilliant, so seductive...the man she had come to trust, to confide in, to love..had been a monster.  
  
Lorien scolded herself bitterly as she sat there. 'But you should have known. You should have known exactly what that Mark meant the first night you saw it.' Had she been in denial about the possibility? Or was it that she knew he was now someone different from the person that had done those terrible things?  
  
Was he?  
  
Lorien frightened herself even more with that thought. Was he still capable of such things? She didn't have the answer, and there was another question she needed to have the answer to first.  
  
When she looked at him again she could see that he was watching her with wary eyes. He knew what she was going to ask. Her eyes met his, and she steeled herself. She had to know. They had to deal with this. "Did you kill anyone?" She asked, her voice rising barely above a choked whisper.  
  
He didn't avert his gaze, but looked at her steadily, almost defying her to accept his answer. "Yes."  
  
Lorien suddenly felt ill and her hand gripped the arm of the chair. She'd already known what his answer probably was going to be, but it was different now that he had actually admitted it. She closed her eyes when she spoke, and continued their morbid game of twenty questions. "How many, Severus?" She whispered.  
  
"Probably dozens." He said evenly. It was easier to answer her now that she knew.  
  
Lorien's eyes opened and she looked at him with horror. "Probably?" You mean you don't know?" She felt herself getting angry. "How could you not know? It wasn't important enough to keep track of?" She snarled.  
  
He had no trouble dealing with her reaction. It was exactly what he'd expected. "I have no way of knowing, Lorien." He said quietly.  
  
"Why not?" She asked, as she felt her hands shaking with anger and gripped the chair tighter.  
  
"I wasn't there when they died. The executions and assassinations were carried out by others. I merely contributed the means in many cases." He replied calmly.  
  
Lorien frowned. "I...I don't understand." She said, wrapping her arms around herself. The dungeon felt very cold at that moment.  
  
He spoke again softly. "Lorien, in addition to my.....interrogation skills, my greatest talents at that time as well included potion brewing. There were many horrible things that I created upon demand, and not least among them were deadly poisons. I never had the predisposition for murder. It was a way that I served the dark lord but was able to remain...detached."  
  
Lorien sat there struggling with what he had told her. She hung her head and buried her face in her hands for several long minutes. She now knew for certain that her lover had been a killer. She spoke again when she looked up, and there were tears in her eyes. "And what about now? Do you still feel detached from it all? From all those people that died?"  
  
Snape shook his head. "No, Lorien. I haven't for almost fifteen years. It's taken me that long to feel that I have been able to earn some small measure of redemption. Now you understand why I had to take the chance of returning to Voldemort in the fall."  
  
He watched her warily now, expecting her to finally react to the magnitude of what he had told her. She was horrified, he knew, and he fully expected that that horror would evolve into loathing. He sat waiting anxiously for her reaction, daring to hope that she might not end up hating him.  
  
Lorien, was now distraught. Part of her wanted desperately to stay by his side and show him that she could still accept him - that she still wanted him, but the remainder of her was reeling with what she'd learned. The cold hard truth had just been slammed down on the table in front of her, and she was having trouble with what she'd decided. The tears came more freely now, and as she realized that the man who's arms she had been in just moments before, had been a heartless, detached killer, she came undone.  
  
Still tearful, Lorien leaped to her feet and ran towards the door, wanting to put as much distance as possible between herself and the dungeon. She would have made it if Snape hadn't been anticipating her response. He was out of his chair and at the door before she could pull it open, and he threw his arms around her and dragged her against him.  
  
"No!" She cried, trying unsuccessfully to pull away from him. He was too strong for her. "Let go." She sobbed, but he held onto her doggedly.  
  
"Lorien." He spoke her name softly as she pushed against his chest, trying to free herself. He tightened his grip. He wasn't letting go. He knew that if she left, there was a good possibility she wouldn't come back. "Lorien!" He repeated more urgently, nearly crushing her against him.  
  
She finally relented, and still crying, leaned against him weakly and let him support her.  
  
He said nothing for several long minutes, and then he spoke in a harsh whisper. "Don't go." He couldn't let her. It was selfish, he knew, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to stand by and do nothing this time, and he sure as hell was going to fight for one of the few good things that had happened in his life. Maybe he didn't deserve her, but that was just too damn bad.  
  
Lorien still wanted to leave, but her emotions had gotten the better of her, and as upset as she was, if Snape let go of her at that moment, she knew she might not stay on her feet. She stayed where she was, sobbing against him, tears wetting the black robes where she had her face buried against his chest.  
  
Snape knew that they were at a critical juncture, and that what he said to her in the next few minutes would determine if she stayed or if she went. He had to get her to stay. He couldn't lose her now, not after things had just started to feel...right.  
  
"Lorien," he began, very gently. "I know how terrible all of this must be for you, but I ask only that you listen to me for a moment longer." He said. "Hear me out, and if you still want to leave after what I have to say, I'll let you go."  
  
"Alright." Came the reply from her through her tears. She wouldn't look at him.  
  
He held her there quietly, and then choosing his words carefully, he began. "I have no excuses for what I did," he said, "only explanations. I suppose the best way to explain things is to tell you that I took no responsibility for anything that I did in those early days." She remained quiescent, and so he continued.  
  
"I was very young, again not that that's an excuse, but coupled with the fact that I was reckless and arrogant, it led to a lot of things that never should have happened. It was easy to shrug the responsibility for what I did onto someone else's shoulders, especially when I didn't have to see the consequences. It made what I did seem so much less tangible, so much less real, that it was easier to continue."  
  
Snape took a deep unsteady breath and went on. "I think that even at the beginning, Voldemort sensed that I would balk at continuing with what I'd started if I had a chance to witness the consequences, and so he was very careful to keep me in the shadows to do his bidding, and not to let me see the...results. All the while he played to my very young and very foolish ego, constantly praising me for my work, telling me how talented, how strong, how clever I was. It was all true, but unfortunately I reveled in the fact that I had become so important, and I used my talents tirelessly to please the dark lord."  
  
He could tell that Lorien had stopped crying as much, and was listening to him carefully. "Things went on that way for a while, but gradually as he became even more powerful, Voldemort became more terrible, and more cruel, even to his most devoted followers. It wasn't long before it didn't matter how clever or talented I was. If I incurred his displeasure, I paid the price, and fear became another way of keeping me where he needed me." Snape became quiet again at the unpleasant memories.  
  
"Go on." Lorien said very quietly after a moment.  
  
Snape took a breath and blew it out sharply, and then went on. "There came a day where it finally became apparent to me exactly what the consequences of what I had been doing were. The details would take some time to tell, and ultimately they really aren't important. Suffice it to say that I was devastated, and utterly horrified by the magnitude of what I'd contributed to." His voice dropped a little. "I was overwhelmed with guilt, and I very nearly took my own life."  
  
Lorien suddenly looked up at him. "Did you?" She asked, apparently surprised by the thought.  
  
Snape nodded. "It would have been easy, really. There are some very simple, painless poisons..." He trailed off.  
  
"What stopped you?" She asked very quietly.  
  
"More guilt. It would have been an easy way out of things for me, and I was determined not to give myself that luxury." He said flatly. "I changed alliances after that, and it was easy in those days to face the risk of spying because I just didn't care if I lived or not, and I needed to do anything that I could to try to make up for what I'd done."  
  
"But Severus," she said, "what about October? You took the most dangerous risk fifteen years later?"  
  
He nodded solemnly. "How long do you think it takes to atone for the types of things I've done?" He asked her coldly.  
  
"I don't know." She answered softly, not looking at him again.  
  
"Neither do I. I'll let you know if I ever reach that point." He said, a trace of bitter sarcasm creeping into his words.  
  
Lorien was quiet for a moment and then looked up at him again. "How long did it take you to care about living again?"  
  
His voice was ice when he answered her. "You're making the assumption that I do."  
  
Lorien didn't know what to say.  
  
He saw the look on her face, and softened his tone. "There hasn't been a day that goes by that the thought doesn't cross my mind, Lorien. I'd be lying to you if I said otherwise."  
  
She had tears in her eyes again. "Surely you must want to live? Surely by now you have enough reasons not to...." She couldn't say it.  
  
He nodded slowly. "It used to be a struggle each and every day to decide whether or not to go on, but at this point it's usually just a passing thought that I dismiss quickly enough. Especially..." He stopped and finally let go of her, standing there silently for a long moment. "You are free to go if you wish, Lorien." Was all he said as he turned away.  
  
"Especially what, Severus?" She asked, speaking to him after he turned his back to her.  
  
"Nothing." He hissed quietly, and she heard the waiver in his usually controlled voice.  
  
"Tell me." She said, taking a step forward and placing a hand on his arm.  
  
He didn't face her, but he didn't pull away either. "Especially since I met you." He said quietly.  
  
Lorien was still horrified at what Snape had told her he had done, but it was becoming clear just how profoundly remorseful and full of regret he was. It was also becoming clear just how much he cared about her, and how much he feared losing her. He was probably expecting her to turn and run from him as she almost had.  
  
Almost.  
  
Lorien spoke quietly. "You're someone different now, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes." He spoke the single syllable softly.  
  
She thought for a minute. He had never given her any reason to doubt that the heartless killer he'd been was long gone for many years. Was it really time for her to lose faith in him? Dumbledore obviously never had, why should she?  
  
"Severus." She spoke his name and tugged on his elbow a little to get him to face her. He turned to look at her warily.  
  
She looked into the midnight eyes and spoke the words that he needed to hear and that she needed to say. "I won't leave you."  
  
The look of relief in his eyes nearly broke her heart, and she went straight to his arms. He reacted quickly and pulled her against him, hugging her close as she buried her head under his chin. "Lorien...I...." He hesitated.  
  
"I won't leave you." She repeated, tightening her grip on him. She knew that there was one more thing she needed to ask him about, but she'd already made up her mind. She needed to stay.  
  
Finally she was ready for a last question. "Severus, what about Ian Fincastle?" She asked, and blue eyes looked up into black ones.  
  
Snape cringed despite the fact that she had her arms around him. So there it was. The unavoidable question. He had told her he hadn't directly murdered anyone, and prayed that simple technicality would be enough to preserve some fraction of her affection for him, but now she had confronted him with murder he had indeed committed. And, it was a murder she'd been witness to.  
  
"I had to, Lorien. It was the only way." He said quietly, and the rest of the confession spilled from his lips unchecked. "I couldn't stand the thought of him threatening you. It was awful for me to lose Ursa all those years ago, but the thought of him possibly killing... you, was too much for me to bear. I had to kill him."  
  
Snape looked away. "If it makes any difference in anything I've told you.....in anything you feel about me," he began in a voice choked with uncharacteristic emotion, "it's the only time I have ever spoken the words 'avada kedavra'."  
  
Lorien didn't know exactly why, with all the things he had told her, but for some reason this made a great deal of difference for her. "Is this the truth?" She asked, reaching up to turn his face back to her.  
  
His eyes met hers. "I swear it." He whispered.  
  
She was close to tears but gave him a tiny smile. "I believe you, Severus."  
  
He looked down at the floor and shook his head.  
  
"Severus, I said I believe you." She repeated, seeing his disbelief.  
  
"No, it's not that." He said, with a bitter laugh.  
  
"Then what?" She asked, confused at his reaction.  
  
When he looked up at her his hair was still hanging in his face and she reached up to smooth it back. He closed his eyes and was grateful for the reassuring gesture. "It just occurred to me that the most emotional moment I have ever experienced with a woman was just now when I told her I cared about her enough to kill for her."  
  
Lorien touched his face and he opened his eyes again. "You don't see me laughing do you?" She said and drew him closer.  
  
He held her as they stood there together for several long minutes in silence, both emotionally drained and exhausted. Finally he held her away at arm's length to look at her. "You would stay after everything I've told you?"  
  
She gave him a small smile. "Yes, Severus." She said in a tired but reassuring voice.  
  
He nodded once. "Then, I believe I owe you one more confession," he said in a soft but determined voice.  
  
"What?" She asked, worried about what else he could possibly tell her.  
  
He placed his fingers under her chin, and looked into her eyes for a long moment before he spoke. "I love you, Lorien." He said, and then he kissed her tenderly, folding her into the soft black robes as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Just my take on a glimpse of what Snape's past was like. I won't apologize for a rare show of emotion from the man in front of the woman he loves, but I will tell you not to expect too much of it. He's still Snape, after all. Things lighten up considerably the next two or three chapters. I mean, it IS mid-February at Hogwarts after all. *winks*  
  
Challenge Update! Antinua has thrown her hat into the ring with the first chapter of "Of Apricots and Fragile Dreams." http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1066144 A brief glimpse into Snape's mysterious past, and then onto adventure in the desert! Pop on over and read it! 


	16. Friday the Thirteenth

A/N: Two tickets to Chamber of Secrets - $17.00  
  
Chocolate frogs to eat during film - $10.00  
  
House striped scarf to wear to opening weekend - $25.00  
  
Finally getting to see Snape blast the bloody snot out of Lockhart - priceless.  
  
  
  
And let me tell you what happens if you are the only one waiting in line dressed from head to toe in black, wearing cobra earrings and a Slytherin house scarf. I was given evil looks and comments by a hoard of little Gryffindorks the whole time, an usher verbally accosted me, and when I was leaving, some woman pointed at me and said "Can you believe that blonde? She's a Slytherin!"  
  
Hehehe.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Nytd sits quietly alone, typing at her computer when Snape walks in, looking around and seeming puzzled.  
  
"Where is everyone?" He asks, curious, but not disappointed at the peace and quiet.  
  
Nytd looks up. "The trio are busy with a bunch of CoS stuff, and Black and Lupin had a meeting with Rowling, so they're gone for the weekend.  
  
"I see." Snape says softly, sitting next to Nytd at the computer. "So that leaves us alone?"  
  
Nytd stops typing and looks at Snape warily. "Yes."  
  
"So perhaps it is time?" Snape asks, looking into the lady author's eyes.  
  
Nytd starts to look away. "Severus, I don't think...."  
  
"Come now," Snape says, taking her by the hand and drawing her to her feet, "surely you aren't afraid?"  
  
"No." She says quietly. "I'm just....."  
  
"Nervous?" Snape asks, drawing her closer and dropping his voice. "There's nothing to be nervous about. I assure you that you'll be in most capable hands."  
  
"But you're...a wizard." She replies in a hushed voice. "I've never..."  
  
"Then it's high time you did, my dear." Snape purrs. "I'll make it easy for you." He whispers near her ear. "Just put your arms around me."  
  
"I don't think I can do this." Nytd says quietly as he pulls her closer.  
  
"You know you want to." Snape says. "Admit it."  
  
The temptation is just too great, and with no witnesses about, Nytd gives in and puts her arms around his neck, holding him close as he puts his hands on her waist.  
  
"That's my girl." He says softly. "You're sure that you're ready for this?"  
  
Nytd nods, looking into Snape's eyes.  
  
"Very well." He replies.  
  
A scream starts in Nytd's study and is cut off abruptly, and the muggle author finds herself standing breathless and giddy in the middle of her yard with Snape, after getting her very first taste of apparation.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Friday the Thirteenth ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
On Friday afternoons, Remus had a free class period that he had often used to catch up on grading or to meet with students. Starting at the beginning of the term with the segment on dragon handling, he had since taken to going and observing the last Care of Magical Creatures class for the week.  
  
On Friday the 13th, Remus went to the courtyard with the retaining charm that Marlina had left in place to watch the remainder of her last fifth year class. He held his hands over his ears after a moment as he watched her patiently guiding the students in their attempts to round up and place silencing charms on a small brightly colored flock of fwoopers.  
  
When the last neon pink bird had been hushed and placed back in it's cage, Marlina made some last minute comments to the class and then let them go for the weekend.  
  
She looked up from where she was securing some of the Fwooper cages as Remus walked toward her.  
  
"That was certainly a noisy bunch!" He said, eyeing the now silent birds.  
  
"It's not bad at first, but let me tell you about listening to them for three or four hours!" Marlina laughed.  
  
"You're doing a great job, Marlina." Remus said sincerely, picking up a cage, and stacking it alongside some of the others.  
  
"Keeping the fwoopers quiet?" She asked in an amused way.  
  
"No!" He laughed. "With your students." He handed her another cage, and she placed it on top of the first one.  
  
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Remus. That's a very nice thing to say."  
  
"It's the truth." Remus replied. "I think you definitely found your calling as a teacher."  
  
"I really love it." She admitted. "But I do also love weekends!" She joked as she stacked a last cage.  
  
"Tell me." He agreed, smiling. He was quiet for a moment, and then got up the courage to ask her what he had come to. "Speaking of weekends, Marlina, would you be free for a few hours tomorrow evening?"  
  
Marlina stopped dead with what she was doing. He couldn't be, could he?  
  
"I suppose....."She began, occupying herself with the last cage longer than really required.  
  
"I mean, if you are.....that is if you wanted to be.....I know Sirius would watch Noah for a little while." He was struggling.  
  
She finish with the last cage and looked up at him and smiled. "I would like to be free for a few hours tomorrow night, so if Sirius could watch Noah that would be wonderful."  
  
"Really?" Remus asked, now wearing an apparently hopeful expression.  
  
A wicked thought crossed Marlina's mind, and she just couldn't resist the opportunity to give the Defense professor a hard time. "Yes," she replied, "then I think I might take a long hot bath, do my nails, a little reading....." She saw the look on his face. "Oh. Did you mean to spend time with you?" She asked innocently.  
  
Remus frowned. "Yes."  
  
Marlina started laughing and he knew that she was teasing him. "Of course I'd like to spend tomorrow evening with you, Remus."  
  
"Good... I think." Remus teased back. "You have a tiny bit of a mean streak in you, don't you?"  
  
"I can't help it." She smiled and pointed to the silver and green scarf she was wearing.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius kicked back on the couch and entertained himself watching and listening to Remus agonized over the fact that Marlina had agreed to spend time with him alone on Saturday night.  
  
"Now what do I do? I didn't think she'd really say yes, I mean with Noah and all." Remus was pacing as he talked to Sirius.  
  
"I'm afraid you're going to have to go through with it." Sirius grinned.  
  
"Well, I want to. I just don't know what I should do." Remus continued to pace. "I mean I want time alone with her, but I don't want it to be too romantic. You know, low pressure the first date."  
  
Sirius sniggered. "Good job asking her out for TOMORROW night then."  
  
"What?" Remus asked. He stopped pacing to look at Sirius, puzzled at the comment.  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Moony, what's today?"  
  
"Friday." He said. "The 13th." He added as Sirius raised an eyebrow.  
  
Sirius looked at him with exaggerated expectation. "So that makes tomorrow?"  
  
"Saturday the 14th." Remus said. Suddenly it hit him and he groaned. "Oh no! Valentine's day?"  
  
Sirius was grinning again. "Afraid so."  
  
Remus sank onto the couch and buried his head in his hands. "Great job, Lupin." He chided himself. "No pressure there at all."  
  
Sirius was very amused at Remus's plight, and he patted Remus on the knee and got up. "I'll see you later."  
  
"You're leaving me?" Remus asked. "You're not going to help me?"  
  
"Moony, you don't need anyone's help. She already said yes, so any pressure you feel you're putting on yourself. She won't care what you do." Sirius said encouragingly.  
  
Remus looked up. " I suppose you're right."  
  
"Of course I am. Just promise me one thing?" Sirius stood near the door, wearing a mischievous smile.  
  
"What's that?" Remus asked.  
  
"Whatever you do, for Merlin's sake don't take her to the Astronomy tower." Sirius smiled wickedly.  
  
Lupin nodded emphatically in agreement and smiled in return. "Good advice."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape walked into the great hall and strode past the Slytherins on his way to the head table. He could see that Lorien was talking to Minerva, but had looked in his direction and smiled briefly before turning back to the older witch. His expression remained neutral but he couldn't help but feel pleased whenever he saw that she was watching him.  
  
Ever since their discussion about his past, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something would go wrong, but each time she smiled at him or perked up when he came into a room, he began to feel a little more confident that he was just being insecure, and that she did indeed still care for him as much as she said.  
  
At dinner in the great hall there was a good deal of talk of the weekend, and the conversation at the Slytherin table as Snape passed was no different than the others. He heard comments all along about how the curfew had been extended for the next night, and whispers about what was planned by several of the students for Valentine's Day.  
  
Snape almost stopped in his tracks when he heard what they were discussing, and had to force himself to continue on to the head table. Valentine's day. Tomorrow.....was...Valentine's day. When the hell had he ever given a second thought to Feb. 14th being anything but the day before the 15th? He groaned as he thought to himself that he'd better start giving it a second thought, and quickly.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius, of course was probably the wisest of the three bachelors concerning Valentine's Day, and it had been his encouragement and coaxing that finally gave Remus the confidence to ask Marlina out. It had also been his idea to volunteer to watch Noah for the evening so that he would be exempt from having to put himself through the same agony trying to deal with whether or not to spend time with Kaneene . He knew he was now off the hook with the perfect excuse.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaneene and Keath were on duty that night and walked the grounds surrounding the castle together.  
  
"So how long do you think we're going to be here at Hogwarts?" Keath asked his older sister casually as they walked.  
  
"I don't know. I would imagine that it's going to be a while though." She replied. "Did you check that courtyard earlier?" She said as an afterthought.  
  
"No. I thought you were going to." He answered.  
  
Kaneene found dealing with her young brother frustrating at times, and this was definitely one of them. "Keath, I specifically asked you to check that courtyard where Perkins holds her classes before you came on duty."  
  
"Sorry, sis. I guess I misunderstood." He apologized. "Should I check it now?"  
  
"Yes, and then meet me by the lake." She said, still a little irritated as her brother walked away. She continued on to walk the path surrounding the lake.  
  
Her mind had been on her brother's forgetful tendencies as she walked along, and she was caught off guard as she suddenly realized that someone else was on the dark path approaching her quietly. She drew her wand and stood her ground as the black clad figure neared.  
  
"You're a bit slow on the draw, Moody." Said a voice sarcastically.  
  
'Snape!' She realized when he spoke. She could see the man a little clearer now that he was nearly to where she stood.  
  
"You ought to be paying a bit more attention." He continued to scold her. "You would have been in trouble about twenty seconds ago had I been a Death Eater." His tone just begged her to make a snide comment.  
  
"What do you mean if you 'had been'?" Kaneene spat back at him, but she was angry with herself for having been caught unawares.  
  
"Ah, touché Miss Moody. Very droll indeed." He said, continuing in the same sarcastic manner. "I assure you, however, that you are in no trouble with me."  
  
"How comforting." She sneered back. "What are you doing out here, Snape?" She fell in next to him as he headed along toward the castle.  
  
"As if it's any of your concern." He said arrogantly, glancing at her sideways.  
  
"It's definitely my concern." She said. "Are you going to answer me or what?"  
  
"I was walking. Nothing more, nothing less." He said. Seeing that she wasn't completely satisfied with his answer, he shot a brief explanation at her. "I needed to clear my head."  
  
"And you do it by coming way out here?" She demanded, eyeing him with her usual suspicion.  
  
"I always do." He said, not looking at her and continuing to walk.  
  
She snorted as she kept pace with him. "Well, you might do well to let us know that you're going to be out here." She scolded. "You could be in trouble yourself if you caught one of us by surprise. It wouldn't take much to mistake you for one of them."  
  
Snape stopped short and pressed a hand over his heart in a gesture of mock alarm. "Is that a veiled threat?"  
  
"Take it for whatever you like." Kaneene replied coolly.  
  
Snape narrowed his eyes and spoke again in a dangerous tone. " I would have thought an experienced auror such as yourself would have been a little more open-minded..... ah, but not where someone like me is concerned, right?"  
  
Kaneene narrowed her own eyes and stared at the man standing before her as he continued.  
  
"Is everything really that clearly black and white with you?" He asked, seeming curious more than anything. "Nothing is ever gray? Nothing ever changes?"  
  
"I'd say it's pretty clearly black, at least." Her gaze flicked meaningfully to his left arm and back.  
  
"I see. So because of this..." He yanked the sleeve of his robe up and thrust his arm out at her. "I couldn't possibly be capable of anything good?"  
  
Kaneene cringed as she saw the Dark Mark and looked away. "You made your bed when you turned to dark magic, Snape."  
  
"Perhaps." He said to her. " Although, dark magic does not always mean that one embraces the dark side, Moody."  
  
She glared at him. "They do in my book."  
  
"Then you are a fool." He waved a hand at her dismissively. "There are times when they are two very different things. I no longer embrace the dark side, as I have no doubt made you acutely aware." Snape almost had an amused aspect to his haughty manner.  
  
"And dark magic?" She asked suspiciously, not liking the conversation she had gotten herself into.  
  
He merely shrugged. "How dark any magic is all depends on your perspective."  
  
"I knew you were no good." She said, almost to herself. It puzzled her that Snape now stood there almost laughing at her. "What's funny?" She asked in an irritated way.  
  
"You are." Snape said, sober now. "That Hufflepuff mind of yours can't grasp that there could be times when there might be certain uses for more, shall we say, distasteful magic?" He saw her look of surprise. "Yes, Kaneene, I remembered that you alone of all the Moodys were not a Gryffindor."  
  
"Good for you." She snapped, tired of debating with him out here by the water. "There isn't a time I can possibly think of when I would ever use dark magic." She stated proudly.  
  
"Are you sure?" He asked casually, taking a step closer to her. He knew what her answer would be and he was ready to pounce.  
  
"Absolutely." She said defiantly, meeting the midnight gaze.  
  
Snape stepped in for the kill and stood very close as he looked down into the green eyes of the auror. "You wouldn't even use a class IV restorative potion to prolong the life of a valiant young auror long enough that he'd make it to the hospital?"  
  
Snape looked at her for just a moment longer and then whirled and walked away from the woman. He had his back turned when what he was saying finally hit her, and her mouth dropped open.  
  
Kaneene wouldn't have known what to say at that moment if her life depended on it.  
  
  
  
  
  
After he finished checking the courtyard, Keath came walking up to where his sister was standing dazed. "Hey, was that Snape I just saw walking back toward the castle?"  
  
"Yes." She said distantly, staring out over the lake.  
  
"Did you speak with him?" Keath asked, trying to see if there was something out there that had his sister's attention. He didn't see anything.  
  
"Uh huh." She nodded, still staring off into space a bit.  
  
"What the hell did he want?" Her brother demanded, now worried that Kaneene had been alone out there with the former Death Eater.  
  
She blinked and looked at him finally. "Nothing. Just a bit of conversation." She lied quietly.  
  
Keath put his hands on his hips and frowned at her. "Come on, K. That's a crock. Did he give you any trouble?" He asked suspiciously.  
  
"No, and I doubt very much that he will." Was all she said. "Come on, let's go." She turned and headed back around the lake.  
  
Keath shrugged, knowing it was the end of the discussion, and hurried to catch up with his sister.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien awoke and saw that the day was going to be overcast with possible precipitation, and she decided that she would take advantage of the weather and change the lesson plan for her morning meeting with Harry. She had a few things to do in the hospital ward, so she left Harry a note pinned to the door of the classroom they'd been using so that he'd know to meet her in the Care of Magical Creatures courtyard.  
  
She had just reached the medical ward, when the arriving owl caught her attention. It was a long-eared owl, often favored by the Nemorosi, and she smiled as she held out her arm for the bird to land, anticipating that Perth must have sent her a letter. She spoke softly to the bird, and scratched it's head for a few moments as it closed its eyes in enjoyment, and finally took the letter the bird carried to open it.  
  
Lorien was puzzled at first, noting that the writing was not Taber's, but after a moment she frowned when she read the contents of the letter sent to her on Valentine's day. She gritted her teeth and finished reading before she sent the owl on its way with a word of thanks but no reply.  
  
Madame Pomfrey glanced her direction casually. "I take it that wasn't a romantic letter from Severus?" She asked wryly, teasing Lorien.  
  
Lorien shot her a look but then laughed. She knew that she should know better than to expect that the irritable Slytherin even knew what day it was. Poppy knew that as well, and Lorien realized that there were just certain things that she was going to have to resign herself to accept about Severus Snape. The lack of romance-inspired word or verse on Valentine's day would probably top the list.  
  
She looked back at Pomfrey and sighed, and then handed over the letter.  
  
Poppy read for a minute and then nodded appreciatively. "You have to admit that the man does have a way with words."  
  
"Yes," Lorien agreed, taking back the letter and tossing it into the fireplace, "but definitely not with women." She said, irritated still. "If you're all set, I'm off to meet with Harry again."  
  
Pomfrey nodded and watched Lorien leave, feeling a little sorry for the younger medical witch. Few people knew better what difficulty Lorien had been through with the men in her life recently, and Poppy hoped that the periodic letters she always burned didn't cause any more trouble.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Saturday morning Harry went to the classroom to find a note left there for him by Lorien. At first he was afraid that she was canceling their meeting, but when he read the note it only indicated that she would meet him shortly in the courtyard used by Professor Perkins.  
  
Curious as to why she wanted to work outside this time, Harry hurried to meet her.  
  
Lorien was in the courtyard eyeing the large cage that remained in the corner over the past several weeks as Harry walked up behind her. He glanced up at the heavy, overcast sky and wondered again why she picked today to be out here. "Professor Perkins kept the dragon in that between classes at the start of the term." He said.  
  
She turned to look at him and smiled. "Yes, I know. How are you this morning?"  
  
"Great. It looks like we might end up getting wet out here, though." He said, still eyeing the clouds.  
  
"I certainly hope so." Lorien replied, and Harry could hear the mischief in her voice.  
  
"We're not working on the winds today are we?" Harry surmised, now feeling the excitement at possibly learning something new.  
  
"No. Today will be a good day to get a feel for Summoning of the Rains." She said with a smile.  
  
Harry was nearly beside himself. "Really? A new one?"  
  
"Yes. It'll be easier at first for you if there is actually rain or the potential for it nearby." Lorien explained. "Let me show you."  
  
Lorien took several deep breaths and then raised her arms palms up out in front of her until they were nearly over her head. She concentrated and spoke the command words. "Rhos tim pe!" She drew her arms down as if she were closing a shade.  
  
Harry laughed aloud for a moment as the icy rain and sleet began to fall on the area immediately surrounding them, but quickly realized he was getting wet.  
  
"Finite incantatum." The rain stopped. "Your turn, Harry." She said.  
  
Harry stepped closer to Lorien and she gave him words of advice. "Draw the water to you, not down. It'll fall anyway when you bring it in."  
  
Harry nodded, and started to concentrate, not knowing that Lorien was not the only one watching the lesson.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius stood with his arms folded, leaning against the doorway that led out into the courtyard. He was far enough behind Lorien and Harry that they wouldn't immediately know he was there. Curiosity had brought him, and he wanted to see Lorien instructing the boy, and also if he was as adept as she seemed to think. He felt he needed to at least know some of what Harry had gotten into while he pursued the art of wandless magic. It was part of the responsibility of being Harry's godfather, and Sirius took that responsibility to heart.  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry pulled his arms down as he spoke the spell, and for a brief moment nothing happened. He had just turned to look questioningly at Lorien when a handful of water suddenly fell on his head.  
  
Lorien clapped her hand over her mouth, and tried unsuccessfully to hide her laughter at the water running down the boys face and glasses.  
  
In the doorway behind them, Sirius also stifled a snicker but continued to watch to see what would happen next.  
  
Harry wiped his glasses dry and made fun of himself as he replaced them. "Quite a flood, huh?"  
  
Lorien was still chuckling. "Try it again, Harry."  
  
Harry concentrated again and this time he managed a tiny freezing drizzle immediately over his head. His hair was getting soaked with icy rain and he rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. "Impervious!" He cast the spell and the water began to roll off harmlessly.  
  
Lorien's eyes went wide at that same moment and Sirius stood bolt upright from the doorway behind them.  
  
Harry saw the look on Lorien's face. "What?"  
  
She didn't answer at first.  
  
"Finite incantatum." The rain stopped. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Harry asked again.  
  
"Harry, don't you realize what you just did?" Lorien asked, looking a bit stunned.  
  
"Besides drenching myself? No." He admitted.  
  
"Harry you held the summoning spell and cast another wandless charm at the same time." She said excitedly, and then turned to look at Sirius who was walking rapidly toward them.  
  
"Did he just..?" Sirius asked her.  
  
"Cast two wandless spells at once? Yes." Lorien said proudly.  
  
It hadn't occurred to Harry that he might not be able to cast the Impervious charm without his wand. He hadn't really thought about it, he just did it.  
  
"I didn't even realize that I had done it until you said something." Harry admitted.  
  
"Do it again." Sirius directed Harry, who shrugged and turned to concentrate.  
  
This time a larger amount of icy rain fell, but it was on top of Sirius, and Harry couldn't hang onto the spell long enough since he was laughing at his wet godfather.  
  
"Very funny, Potter." Sirius said, shaking his head in a good impersonation of his alternate form. Water flung all over Lorien who cried out and stepped back.  
  
"Sirius, you're being disruptive." She scolded, although she was smiling.  
  
"I'm helping." He corrected her insistently.  
  
"I see." Lorien looked overhead and back. " Would you like to help me demonstrate one more summoning spell for Harry?" She asked sweetly.  
  
"Of course." He replied, looking eager to actually help.  
  
"Alright, stand over there." She pointed halfway across the courtyard.  
  
Sirius looked at her a little suspiciously. "You're not going to hit me with a lightning bolt, are you?"  
  
"No, that's another lesson." She assured him with a smile. "Go on."  
  
Sirius obeyed, and went to stand in the middle of the yard.  
  
Lorien turned back to Harry. "Stand back a little further. I don't want you in the line of fire." She smiled and winked.  
  
Harry definitely wanted to see this. He knew she was up to no good, and it amused him that his godfather was her unsuspecting victim.  
  
Lorien looked up again for a moment and then appeared to find what she was looking for. She stared at the sky and then cried out the command word as she turned to point at Sirius. "Corvus!"  
  
Harry realized what was happening a brief moment before Sirius did. "Why did you call all those crows..." He broke into a grin as he realized that the small flock was now diving straight for Sirius. "They're not going to go near his face, are they?" He asked, becoming a little concerned at the number of birds that Sirius had also now spotted.  
  
"Not to worry, Harry. I assure you that they won't even touch him." Lorien spoke softly as she smiled.  
  
Sirius knew instantly that the birds themselves were not going to touch him, but he also knew he was in it deep. Or was about to be. It only took a second for the black dog to appear and beat a hastier retreat than he otherwise would have to the door way. He was fast, but not fast enough, and the thick black fur was quickly dotted with white. A large number of splatters hit the ground outside the door as he leapt through the opening, and Lorien finally dispersed the flock.  
  
Harry hadn't laughed that hard in a long time, and neither had Lorien. Sirius walked back out to them grinning as well.  
  
"Well done, Mistress Lorien." He said, and cast a spell to clean the copious bird droppings off his robes. "Just remember that when it comes payback time. I've heard they can be a bitch." He said slyly.  
  
She rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"And as for you!" Sirius grabbed Harry suddenly and put him in a headlock. "You're in trouble for soaking your godfather." He dragged Harry toward the door.  
  
"Lorien!" Harry cried out with mock alarm in his voice. "Help me." The teenager was half gagging and half giggling as Sirius pulled him along.  
  
"Wish now that you'd brought your wand, don't you?" Sirius laughed as he dragged Harry through the doorway, grinding his knuckles playfully into the boy's scalp.  
  
  
  
When Lorien caught up to Sirius there was no sign of the younger wizard, and the older one was doubled over trying to stop himself from sneezing. He couldn't stop long enough to say anything so he just gave her a rueful look instead.  
  
Lorien broke into a wide grin at the plight of the handsome man before her. Harry had hit him with the ceaseless sneezes hex. Wandless.  
  
She smiled at him sweetly. "Apologize for disrupting my lesson and I'll cast the counterspell." She held her hand back as if keeping something just out of his reach.  
  
He couldn't say anything as the next fit of sneezes wracked his body, but he managed to look at her and nod.  
  
"Good enough." She released him from the curse and he took several moments bent over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath .  
  
He finally straightened and spoke to Lorien. "He's getting a lot better at that, isn't he?"  
  
"Yes, Sirius. He is."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: The command words for the Summoning spell are derived from Quenya and Sindarin elvish terms for rain.  
  
Next chapter - Still Sat the 14th. We deal with a few issues and then Marlina's date with Remus. 


	17. Aurors, Roses, and Pizza

Mala Zloca - where do you think Lorien got her name from, mellon?  
  
Ariana - patience, we'll get to Sirius, I promise. ;)  
  
Jig - Severus shall endeavor to convince you he is as suave as he pretends to be.  
  
deSevera - The kids in line with me were delightfully horrified by the Slytherin colors. It was very fun. Definitely NOT ENOUGH Snape!!! (That's what we're here for.)  
  
Snapefan51 - high five back at ya!  
  
Bobbi - After over 515 combined reviews and dozens of e-mails since I posted the first chapter of WW&S, you are the only one to ever ask me that question!  
  
Draco luver - the letter isn't from Sev. ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Aurors, Roses, and Pizza ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien left the courtyard to return to her rooms after the lesson, and was walking along the hall when she became aware of Kaneene Moody coming toward her, probably looking for Sirius.  
  
'Great.' She thought to herself, hoping that Moody was just passing by. She didn't like dealing with the female auror since she always eyed Lorien suspiciously, and usually had a smart remark or two. The only person that Kaneene watched with greater mistrust was Snape, and Lorien was guilty in the auror's book by association. Lorien was sure that it didn't help that the woman seemed to be spending more and more time in the company of Sirius. She knew how Sirius was about Severus.  
  
Lorien nodded to the woman as they neared one another but eyed her warily.  
  
The dark haired auror nodded in acknowledgment. "Lorien." She said, and then walked on past.  
  
'Good.' Lorien thought. She wasn't going to have to deal with another smart remark from that woman. Her thoughts were interrupted by Moody calling her name again.  
  
"Lorien?"  
  
Lorien stopped where she was, and mentally braced herself before she turned around. "Yes? What can I do for you, Kaneene?" She asked.  
  
"Would you happen to have a minute?" Kaneene asked.  
  
'Here we go. This should be good.' Lorien thought. "Of course. What is it you need?" She inquired.  
  
"Is there somewhere we can talk?" The auror asked unexpectedly.  
  
"My rooms are just down the hall. Would that do?" Lorien asked, surprised that the woman seemed to be making an effort not to be rude.  
  
"That would be fine." Kaneene said quietly.  
  
Lorien opened the door and Kaneene followed her inside, looking around as she entered. The auror let out a low whistle. "It kinda looks like somebody put a library in the middle of a small forest in here."  
  
Lorien turned to stare at the witch, somewhat annoyed. "For your information, the plants have a very calming influence on my surroundings, and as for all the books, well, I guess that some of us just read more than others." She looked at the other woman pointedly.  
  
The fact that Lorien had insinuated that Kaneene might not be that smart was not lost on the auror, and she decided that it was a fair enough remark after she had made the comment about her rooms.  
  
Kaneene laughed a little. "I didn't mean anything by my comment, Lorien."  
  
"Very well." Lorien said stiffly. "Shall we sit?"  
  
Moody nodded and the two women were seated.  
  
"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Lorien asked as her curiosity overcame her annoyance.  
  
"Snape." Kaneene stated simply.  
  
"Severus? What about him?" Lorien was immediately on guard.  
  
Kaneene smiled a little as she saw the other woman quickly adopt a protective attitude. "Lorien, please don't be so defensive. I'm not out to get Snape for anything, I just wanted to talk to you about something he said to me."  
  
"Alright." Lorien said, not totally trusting the woman.  
  
"First," began Kaneene, "I believe I own you an apology."  
  
"For what?" Lorien asked with obvious surprise.  
  
Kaneene knew the other woman wouldn't be expecting her answer, and she continued. "For the way I've been assuming you were probably guilty of a lot of things you probably aren't, just because of your relationship with Snape. It wasn't fair of me to jump to some of the conclusions that I made about you, and I apologize. I usually am a very tolerant person, but I guess I've been a little put off by the fact that you associate so freely with a former Death Eater."  
  
Lorien still watched her carefully. "I guess I can see where an auror can have a bit of a blind spot about such a thing." She said, trying to sound like she was being understanding.  
  
Kaneene shrugged. "Yes, well I think my blind spot concerning him has been rather a large one. I guess I've had a bit of trouble dealing with the concept that a Death Eater could ever be considered trustworthy."  
  
"I assure you he is. I'm surprised that you don't think so after he did so much to help the aurors at Halloween." Lorien replied.  
  
"I know. I haven't given him enough credit." Kaneene smiled warmly at Lorien. "I guess it's a lot easier to picture the good guys being someone like Remus Lupin."  
  
Lorien tensed immediately, but then could sense that Kaneene meant nothing malicious by her comment, and was merely making a point. She relaxed a bit and nodded. "You just have to know him, Kaneene. I admit that Severus does paint a dark picture at times, but it doesn't mean that he's an evil wizard." Lorien finally smiled. "Although I bet his students would beg to differ."  
  
Kaneene laughed at the woman's willingness to make light of the uncomfortable situation.  
  
"So why the sudden change of heart?" Lorien asked curiously. Most of her cautious attitude was gone.  
  
"I had my perspective updated last night." Kaneene replied slowly.  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"A conversation I had with Snape." She explained, and looked directly at Lorien. "Did you know about Keath?" She asked.  
  
Lorien frowned for a moment. "Keath? What about him?"  
  
"So you don't know." Said Kaneene softly. She related the conversation she had with Snape the night before. "Evidently the reason Keath even got a chance to make it to the hospital was because of Snape giving him a potion."  
  
"What potion?" Lorien asked. This was the first she had heard of such a thing.  
  
"He said it was a class IV restorative. Highly dangerous and quite illegal if my memory serves me." Moody actually sounded amused.  
  
Lorien shook her head and then buried her face in her hands for a moment.  
  
Kaneene could see her shoulders shaking and thought at first that the woman might be crying, but when Lorien looked up it was evident she was actually laughing. "So are you alternating between being horrified and grateful like I am right now?" She finally asked Kaneene.  
  
Kaneene nodded. "Mostly just grateful at this point, which is also why I wanted to talk to you. I want to know how to go about thanking him. What do you think?"  
  
Lorien shrugged. "Why don't you just say 'thank you'?" She answered. "He appreciates directness, so you don't have to worry about how you say it. Just say it."  
  
"That's all, huh? You make it sound easy." Kaneene said.  
  
"It won't be. Nothing ever is with him." Lorien sighed as she realized how true that often was. "My advice would be to make it a point to go to his office or rooms to find him. He'll be annoyed as anything at first, but he'll appreciate the fact that you made the effort later." She said.  
  
"You're really going to make me work, aren't you?" Kaneene asked, disliking the idea of pursuing Snape into the dungeon.  
  
"Mm hmm. While you're there, that apology you gave me about assuming guilt wouldn't hurt either." Added Lorien .  
  
"I know." Kaneene replied and sighed. She stood to leave. "Thanks for the advice, Lorien."  
  
"Thank you for the apology. I think it will be good if you and I can get along, Kaneene, since we're both friends with Sirius." Lorien smiled knowingly at the other woman.  
  
Kaneene blushed a little and returned the smile. "I think you're right."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ginny Weasley was just about beside herself with excitement that afternoon, and she had to tell somebody why, so she quickly headed to the library to find Hermione. She spotted her among a stack of books piled on the table in front of her, and Ginny shook her head at the fact that the place was nearly deserted except for a handful of upper class Ravenclaws. Hermione was the only one she knew that could be studying in the library on Saturday morning, and on Valentine's day of all days.  
  
Hermione didn't even look up from the chapter she was absorbed in until Ginny cleared her throat.  
  
"Hermione, what are you doing?" Ginny asked, smiling at her friend.  
  
"It looks to me like I'm studying." Hermione said, just a bit of irritation creeping into her voice.  
  
Ginny sat down across from her. "Give it a rest, would you?" She said good naturedly. "It's Saturday, there are no exams on the horizon, and it's Valentine's day for Merlin's sake."  
  
Hermione sighed and then shut the volume in front of her. "You're not going to leave me in peace, are you?" She asked, now smiling a little.  
  
"No." Ginny admitted. She looked around to make sure no one was nearby to overhear her. "You're never going to believe who sent me a Valentine." She whispered excitedly.  
  
Hermione stretched a little and yawned as she looked at Ginny. "Who?" She asked casually, but then she snapped to as she realized what the sparkle in Ginny's eye meant. "No!" She whispered back.  
  
"Yes!" Ginny said, still beaming.  
  
"Harry?" Hermione asked, still finding it hard to believe.  
  
Ginny nodded.  
  
"What did he send you?" Hermione asked, now very interested in her friend's news. She definitely needed the details if she were going to be able to give Harry a hard time later on.  
  
Ginny sighed and handed Hermione the card. All it said was "Happy Valentine's Day - Harry" on it. Less than impressive, Hermione thought. Evidently her feeling was evident on her face, because Ginny spoke up again. "It's not what he wrote, 'Mione." She said, still smiling. "It's that the note came with FLOWERS!" She said.  
  
Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Flowers? Are you serious?" Harry send flowers? On Valentine's Day? Hermione had the sneaking suspicion that Sirius must have had a hand in convincing Harry to actually go through with it, but she said nothing to Ginny.  
  
"Mmm hmm. A dozen red and gold roses." Ginny said.  
  
'Not bad there, Potter.' Hermione thought. She hated to admit that the fact Ginny had gotten flowers from someone, and she herself had not, bothered her just a tiny bit. Oh well. At least she was happy for Ginny.  
  
"Come on, you've got to see them." Ginny said, standing and expecting Hermione to follow.  
  
Hermione agreed and gathered up her things. She knew Ginny well enough to know that resistance was futile, and she might as well give up and go now.  
  
  
  
The two girls were walking back toward the staircase to Gryffindor tower, heads together talking about who else they knew that had gotten Valentines when they spotted the group of aurors standing together and talking. Ginny whispered to Hermione as they neared the group of men. "Now there's a sight for sore eyes." She said slyly.  
  
Hermione smiled a little, knowing as well as Ginny did that there wasn't a bad-looking Moody in the lot, and nodded. "Not one that's hard to look at." She said back, eliciting a snicker from Ginny.  
  
"I wouldn't mind getting a Valentine from the tall one." Ginny whispered, indicating Evan Moody. "I'll take him for the day if you don't mind."  
  
"Harry might." Hermione teased. "Besides, isn't he a bit old for you, Gin?" She continued, knowing the oldest of the group was nearly as old as Sirius.  
  
"Not for looking." Ginny replied, laughing a little as they got closer. "All right, 'Mione. What about that one?" Ginny indicated the youngest of the aurors standing with his cousins. "You've got to love the green eyes." She added, prodding Hermione a bit. "What's his name?"  
  
Hermione whispered quietly as they got closer to the group. "Keath. He's Kaneene's brother and the youngest Moody." Hermione said, discreetly eyeing the man along with Ginny. They were about to take the stairs when the group noticed them passing. All of the men glanced at them briefly as they continued their conversation, but it was the youngest Moody that saw the two girls together and gave them a charming smile before turning back to the group he was with.  
  
Ginny and Hermione force themselves to walk up the first few flights of stairs before they grinned at each other.  
  
"Not bad." Said Ginny. "Not bad at all."  
  
Hermione hadn't really thought that much about it before, but she found that she couldn't disagree. "Well, the way I see it," she said as they reached the fat lady, "if they're going to have the grounds patrolled by aurors, the least they can do is send us ones that look like that."  
  
Ginny nodded in hearty agreement. "Montague and Capulet." She spoke the password that had been changed in honor of the day, and the two young witches went to the girls dorm together to see Ginny's flowers.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus waited that evening for Marlina to arrive at his rooms. They had planned for her to leave Noah with Sirius right across the hall, and that way if there were any problems with the boy she would be close at hand.  
  
He paced as he waited, thinking that he wanted to make a good impression on her but knowing in the back of his mind that there was a difficult conversation they were going to have sooner or later. He didn't know yet if tonight would be the night to bring it up. He'd have to wait and see how things played out.  
  
His musings were interrupted by the sound of Marlina and Noah talking to Sirius in the hallway. The boy sounded excited about the prospect of hanging out with the older Gryffindor for the evening, and Sirius and Marlina were laughing at something.  
  
Remus poked his head outside the door. "Hey! Keep it down out here." He said and then laughed.  
  
"Hi, Remus!" Noah was pleased to see his friend.  
  
"Hi, Noah. You're going to keep Sirius out of trouble for a few hours for me, aren't you?" Remus asked the boy.  
  
Noah nodded. "I'll watch him." He said somewhat seriously.  
  
"Come on, Noah." Sirius called. "We want to be ready."  
  
"Ready for what?" Noah asked.  
  
"Ron and Harry will be here in a while. They're going to help me teach you how to play exploding snap." Replied Sirius.  
  
Noah just couldn't have thought Sirius was any cooler at that point.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina followed Remus across the hall and sank onto the couch when he offered her a seat. She looked a little relieved.  
  
"I absolutely love my son, but it's going to be nice to have a little break." Marlina said with a smile, and she let her head fall against the back of the couch.  
  
"Sirius will watch him carefully. He's an excellent baby-sitter. He even used to watch Harry as an infant once in a while before..." Remus trailed off.  
  
Marlina nodded. She understood what he was getting at.  
  
Remus brightened again quickly. "So, are you hungry?"  
  
"Starving." She replied.  
  
"Good." He opened a butterbeer and handed it to her, and then opened one for himself. "Ever had pizza?" He asked her, after he had taken a sip.  
  
"Peetsa?" She looked puzzled.  
  
Remus smiled. He had gambled on the likelihood that Marlina had probably not encountered the muggle invention before, and was glad that he would be able to introduce her to it for the first time.  
  
Marlina watched curiously as he set a flat square box on the small dining table. "Where did you get that?" She asked, rising and walking to where he was to get a better look.  
  
"You always want to know all my secrets." Remus complained.  
  
"I see. You prefer to maintain an air of mystery." Marlina quipped back.  
  
Remus smiled and then suddenly looked concerned. "You're not a vegetarian, are you?"  
  
"Oh, not at all." She replied.  
  
"Good." Remus opened the box and Marlina peered in. It smelled wonderful, and they sat down together for Marlina to try her first pepperoni pizza.  
  
"So this is muggle food?" She asked between bites.  
  
"Yes. What do you think?" Remus asked and took a bite of his own piece and watched her reaction.  
  
"I think you're going to have to tell me where you got it. Noah would love this!" She said. She enthusiastically turned her attention back to the slice poised in front of her face.  
  
"I figured he might. You'll have to ask him if he liked the one that I sent with Sirius." Remus replied.  
  
"What nice guys." Marlina looked pleased. "You two are something else." She said.  
  
"I'm the nice guy." Remus said with his mouth full, pointing at himself. "He's something else." He said and then laughed. Marlina laughed with him.  
  
Remus changed the topic of conversation. "So, how is it that you ended up teaching here, Marlina?"  
  
"Marlie." She said.  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"Call me Marlie. Marlina is so formal." She answered, and she gave him a sweet smile.  
  
"Ok, Marlie." He smiled back, thinking that was a good sign.  
  
"I just needed a change of pace after the zoo." She said, reaching in the box for another slice of pizza. "I've always wanted to instruct."  
  
"So you were at the zoo for how long?" Remus asked, wanting to see what else he could learn about her past.  
  
"Almost six years." She replied. " I actually worked for the Ministry before that."  
  
"Really? Doing what?" Remus feigned ignorance.  
  
"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you." She said slyly.  
  
"Try me." Remus said. It came out calmer than he felt now that they were getting around to that particular topic.  
  
"I used to work for the DRCMC." She said casually between bites of pizza. "Werewolf Capture Unit." She added with her mouth a bit full.  
  
Remus choked on his butterbeer when he actually heard her say the words. "Really?" He gagged the word out and coughed a few more times.  
  
"I told you it would be hard to believe." Marlina said in an amused voice.  
  
Remus coughed one last time. "So you must know Tenny Offut." He asked tentatively. Damn! Why had he asked her that? 'Good job, Lupin.' He thought, knowing he was now going to have to explain how he knew the woman. He mentally kicked himself.  
  
"At Werewolf Support Services?" Marlina sounded surprised. "Of course! She and I go way back. How do you know her, Remus?" She asked. "Oh, wait." Realization dawned on her as she thought about it. "She was in your class at school."  
  
Remus nodded, glad to be able to avoid saying how he had really come to know Offut. "She's a wonderful, caring person." He said instead. "Practically a saint."  
  
"Yeah, well you'd have to be do deal with all the things that she has to cope with, and let me tell you, not everyone in that department is as compassionate as she is." Marlina said soberly.  
  
"I can imagine." Remus said, already knowing it was true. "How did you end up with the WCU instead of WSS?" He asked curiously.  
  
"I was good at it." She said quietly.  
  
"What?" He asked, not sure he really wanted to know.  
  
"Bringing them in. No one was better at tracking down the rogues than I was." Marlina said solemnly.  
  
Remus knew what a rogue werewolf was. There were many lycanthropes that never learned to cope psychologically with their curse, and there were times that dealing with the painful transformations and all the emotional baggage that came with the associated rejection and discrimination became overwhelming. Often the distraught individuals just stopped caring about taking precautions to find wolfsbane potion or to lock themselves up, and when the next full moon rose they ran rampant, uncontrolled and uncaring, posing a serious danger to others and often to themselves.  
  
Most of the time, if the rogue could be caught before any tragedy struck, there was hope for rehabilitation, but it often had a poor success rate, and many ended up running loose as a rogue again. If the werewolf in question hurt or killed anyone on the first offense, or went rogue a second time, it was all over. The Beast Division of the DRCMC had extremely strict regulations concerning this, and the pitiful wretches were usually put to death.  
  
Remus certainly could understand why so many of the werewolves out there eventually succumbed to depression, apathy and suicide, but had never been in danger of becoming a rogue himself. It wasn't that he didn't have issues at times in his life with being a lycanthrope, but unlike most of the afflicted individuals out there he'd had thirty years to learn to cope. Few werewolves were created when the victim was as young as he had been when he was bitten, and most children that were ever attacked never even survived.  
  
Remus felt awful that the conversation had taken a turn in this direction and he decided that he would change the subject. For now.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Next chapter - the second half of the date, and I get brave and deal with Snape and Valentine's day.  
  
About Remus's classmate that works at Werewolf Support Services, Tenny Offut. Her name comes from Offut Lake Road in Tenino, WA where Wolf Haven International is. There reside my two adopted wolves, Akela, and Noah.  
  
Hey Captain! That's not far from your neighborhood!  
  
And for those of you that want proof of Sirius as a babysitter for Harry - try this http://www.chamberofkeys.com/BabyHarry_Sirius.jpg  
  
The artist is Kristin over at Chamber of Keys. She has some other really cool fan art too! 


	18. Valentine for a Ravenclaw

Snape shuts the door to Nytd's study, thinking he's in the clear because she's at work, but suddenly comes face to face with Lupin and Black, standing in the hallway with their arms folded.  
  
"Just what were you doing in there?" Black asks suspiciously.  
  
"As if that's any of your concern." Snape hisses, trying unsuccessfully to get by.  
  
"It might be Nytd's concern." Black replies, the implied threat obvious in his voice.  
  
"You weren't touching her computer while she was gone, were you?" Lupin asks, watching Snape's reaction.  
  
"Certainly not!" Snape says angrily. "How dare you imply that you think I would do such a thing!"  
  
Black snorts amusedly. "We're not implying anything, Snape. We're flat-out saying that we think you were."  
  
Snape glares at Black, about to retort when Lupin, ever the voice of reason, speaks up. "It would be easy enough to do a revealing spell to see who the last one to log onto her computer was. That should put the matter at rest."  
  
"I assure you that isn't necessary, Lupin." Snape replies tersely. "You have my word that I did not touch her computer."  
  
Lupin and Black look at each other questioningly for a moment. "Right." They say to each other, and head for the study. Snape merely shakes his head and leans against the doorway, folding his arms across his chest as he watches them with a dark expression.  
  
It only takes the two Gryffs a moment to realize that Snape had been telling the truth, but they are now even happier that they've found better ammunition to harass him with when they discover the bottle of wine sitting on her desk, adorned with a silver and green bow.  
  
"Aw, Severus." Begins Black, holding the bottle up for examination. "And I thought you Slytherins found muggles to be boring."  
  
"And dull." Adds Lupin with a grin. "Don't forget dull."  
  
"Yes, and...what is that charming term you use?" Asks Black sweetly. "Dunderheads is it?"  
  
Snape scowls at the two of them, and swiftly reclaims the bottle from Black. "I'm sure," he replies dangerously, "that the two of you would agree that Nytd is not your average muggle, she is neither dull nor boring," he says as he thunks the bottle back on her desk, "and she is certainly not your typical dunderhead!" He glares at each of them, daring them to disagree, and then sweeps from the room in a huff.  
  
Black and Lupin watch the Potions master leave and then look at each other and grin.  
  
"He likes her, doesn't he?" Black asks Lupin.  
  
"I believe so." Lupin replies, indicating the expensive label on the wine bottle.  
  
"You know it's up to us to harass him endlessly about this, don't you?" Black asks.  
  
"Absolutely, Padfoot old friend." Lupin says as they walk out of the study and close the door.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Valentine for a Ravenclaw ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
"So how about walking off some of that pizza?" Remus asked Marlina a short time after the last piece was gone.  
  
"That sounds like a good idea. I ate too much." Marlina replied, sitting far back in her chair.  
  
"Shall we head outside?" Remus asked, banishing the empty pizza box and bottles with a wave of his wand.  
  
Marlina nodded but then hesitated. "I don't have a cloak with me."  
  
Remus held one up and she reached out to take it. She felt her face become just a bit warm as she realized that Remus wasn't letting go of the cloak, and she turned away with a smile to let him slip it over her shoulders. She noted as he turned to get one for himself, that the cloak was the tiniest bit tattered at the edges, but she had to say she didn't care in the least if it belonged to a man that was willing to do that.  
  
"We should probably check in with whoever is on duty before we go wandering the grounds." Said Remus, and they made it a point to find Brandon and Dixon to let them know that they'd be out and about.  
  
"We've been talking about me all night Remus. Why don't you tell me more about you?" Marlina queried as they began to walk.  
  
"There's not much to tell." Remus said. 'Unless you count being a werewolf, member of the Order of the Phoenix, DADA teacher, and member of Voldemort's top 10 most wanted list.' He thought wryly to himself.  
  
"You have to at least tell me something." Marlina said, feigning exasperation.  
  
"What about my air of mystery? Remus insisted. "I'll destroy the image you have of me if I tell you too much."  
  
"Do you have any family?" She pouted a little to coax him to open up.  
  
"None left." He said simply.  
  
"Oh." She said quietly, realizing that was the wrong approach. She smiled and changed her line of questioning. "Let's try again. Easy questions."  
  
"Easy questions?" He asked, and then looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Like what?"  
  
She laughed at his playful suspicion. "What's your favorite ice cream?"  
  
Remus smiled. Ok, easy enough. "Chocolate." He replied. "Anything with chocolate in it."  
  
"See, easy." Stated Marlina with a grin. "Let's try another simple one - what's your favorite color?" She asked next.  
  
"Red, I guess." He said, after a moment's thought.  
  
"Favorite food?" She inquired, starting to enjoy the game she had started with him.  
  
Remus thought about it for a minute. "Pepperoni pizza or fried chicken." He said finally.  
  
Marlina smiled to herself. "Boxers or briefs?" She asked casually, slipping the question in with the others.  
  
"Sorry?" Remus was caught off guard, and Marlina laughed as he realized what she'd been asking and turned a bit red.  
  
"Just keeping you on your toes." She teased, and continued with her playful interrogation. "Favorite subject...besides Defense?" She quickly added.  
  
"Ancient Runes." He replied, shaking his head at himself for being caught off guard by the crafty Slytherin witch.  
  
"Least favorite?" She asked next.  
  
"Potions." He said, wrinkling his nose. He noted that they were nearing the whomping willow.  
  
"Really? It's always been one of my favorites." Marlina mused aloud.  
  
Remus made another face at her. "Not one of my stronger subjects. What's your next question?"  
  
"Ever been skinny dipping?" Marlina asked slyly.  
  
"What?" She'd done it again, and Remus laughed. "Look, I'll answer any question that you throw at me, but the deal is you have to answer the same one, so be careful what you ask."  
  
She looked at him expectantly, willing to play the game.  
  
Remus sighed and answered the last question. "Yes, I have."  
  
"When?" She asked, delighting wickedly at his mild embarrassment.  
  
"In school." Remus confessed. "Sirius, James, Peter and I went one night in the lake."  
  
"With the squid?" It was Marlina's turn to wrinkle her nose.  
  
Remus looked at her expectantly, and waited for her own answer. "Well?"  
  
Marlina knew she now owed him a confession. "I have." She said, and then started to laugh.  
  
"Where?" Remus asked. He had to find out where since she had pried the same information out of him.  
  
"Hmmm." Marlina stalled, smiling and acting as if she couldn't quite remember.  
  
"Where?" He asked more insistently, shoving her arm a bit playfully.  
  
"The water dragon exhibit at the zoo. At night of course." She replied, laughing again at herself for having the nerve to tell him.  
  
"You what?" Remus asked, not sure whether she was joking or not.  
  
"Went swimming in the water dragon exhibit at night." She repeated. "There were three of us."  
  
"I think that's all I need to know for now." Remus said, teasing her and pretending to be flustered at the thought of three naked witches splashing about in the pool. Ok, so only partly pretending to be flustered.  
  
"Ok. New question" She said as they walked along. "Person you trust the most.....besides Sirius."  
  
"Albus Dumbledore." Remus replied without hesitation.  
  
"I guess that might be my answer too." Marlina admitted. She paused for a minute to decide what to ask next. "What's your middle name?" She inquired, finally getting back around to something more personal.  
  
"Jarett. It was my grandfather's name." Remus told her. "And yours, Professor Perkins?"  
  
"Chase. It's a family name." She answered.  
  
"Marlina Chase Perkins." Remus said thoughtfully. "Very nice."  
  
"Thanks." She smiled at him, and then looked up at the sky for a moment.  
  
He smiled back. "Should we be getting back?" he asked softly. He knew that she'd be concerned about her son.  
  
"I think so. I don't want to be away from Noah for too long." She replied, and they turned and retraced their steps toward the castle.  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina and Remus walked back together, still laughing and asking each other questions. Remus saw that they were approaching the whomping willow again and decided that it was his turn to ask the new question.  
  
"Ok, Marlie. My turn to ask first." He said, and glanced in the direction of the tree. "Ever stood under the whomping willow?"  
  
"What are you nuts? Of course not." She said quickly. "Have you?"  
  
"Lots of times." He said slyly.  
  
"You can't be serious." She said, laughing. "You'd get beat to a pulp."  
  
Remus grabbed her by the arm. "Come on. I'll show you." He pulled her toward the tree that at the moment was resting quietly.  
  
As they drew nearer, the tree sensed their approach and the branches sprang to life, waving menacingly in their direction. Marlina started to pull back. "Remus, I don't think we should get any closer." She said, sounding concerned.  
  
Remus searched the area immediately around the tree, and finally found what he was looking for. Armed with the stick he started to pull Marlina along again.  
  
"Remus! We're getting too close." She was starting to become alarmed.  
  
Remus stopped and looked at her. "Marlie, I wouldn't do anything that was dangerous. I've done this plenty of times."  
  
Marlina could see he was obviously sincere. "You have? Really?" She asked uncertainly, as she looked back at the flailing branches.  
  
"Yes." He touched her arm briefly and she looked back at him. "Do you trust me, Marlie?" He asked, looking into her clear blue eyes.  
  
She looked back at him for a minute, wondering if this might be about more than the tree. Finally she nodded. "Yes."  
  
"Good." Remus turned and stepped just beyond the reach of the flailing branches and pressed the knot at the base of the tree with the stick. The tree froze, and Marlina gasped in surprise.  
  
"Come here. Quickly." Remus said, and Marlie found herself running under the tree to stand next to him. She touched the trunk of the frozen tree and could feel it quiver beneath her fingers.  
  
"It only lasts for a minute or two, so we have to keep an eye on it." Remus informed her.  
  
Marlina sounded surprised again. "What is that?" She pointed to the opening at the base of the trunk.  
  
"It's a secret passageway." Remus answered.  
  
"How do you know?" She asked, not sure if he was pulling her leg or not.  
  
"Trust me. I know. I'll tell you about it some other time." Remus cast a wary glance up at the branches overhead.  
  
Marlina settled for his answer, and looked up again at the branches now draped harmlessly over their heads. "This feels so.....dangerous." She smiled. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time, Remus. Thank you for such a nice evening."  
  
"My pleasure, Marlie." He said softly.  
  
Marlina put her hands on her hips. "I have one more question for you Remus." She announced.  
  
"What is it?" Remus was keeping an eye out for movement from the tree and wasn't paying attention to how close Marlina was standing.  
  
"If you've done this loads of times, have you ever been kissed under the whomping willow?" She asked, quite close to his ear.  
  
"What?" Remus snapped his attention back to Marlie, who was smiling at him and waiting for his answer.  
  
"Well?" She asked.  
  
"Um....well....I...no." Remus sputtered, as Marlina took a step closer.  
  
Marlina's voice softened. "Me either. Care to change your answer?" She asked. She took one last step toward him, and rested her hands against his chest.  
  
Remus finally smiled back. "I think I would." He started to lean toward her as she reached up to kiss him but saw the first branch twitch out of the corner of his eye and pulled back.  
  
"Wait." He held up one finger and then pulled her by the arms toward him as he leaned back against the trunk. He place one foot against the knot as he drew her in and smiled again. "Ok. Now it's safe."  
  
Marlie shook her head. "Too late, I've changed my mind." She teased, trying to back away.  
  
"Not allowed." He said, pulling her closer. "My tree, my rules."  
  
"Your tree?" She asked distractedly, looking into his soft gray eyes.  
  
"Yes. My tree." He said, and then leaned down a little to kiss her gently as she closed her eyes.  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus stood at his door a little later saying goodnight to Marlina. "I enjoyed spending tonight with you a great deal, Marlie." He said as he let go of her.  
  
"Me too, Remus. Thank you so much." She smiled at him and then kissed him again quickly. "I should really get Noah."  
  
Remus sighed and smiled. "It probably is time to rescue Sirius."  
  
"Oh, and by the way," Marlina said as she started to back away, "this was the best Valentine's Day I've had in a long time." She smiled and turned to walk across the hallway.  
  
Remus caught her gently by the arm and pulled her back.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius and Noah sat together in his rooms, waiting for Marlina to return with Remus. Sirius was just contemplating the fact that he was probably more worn out than the six year old when they heard voices in the hallway outside the door.  
  
"It's Mom!" Noah said and jumped up to go to the door.  
  
Sirius rose tiredly to his feet and walked to join Noah at the door as the young boy opened it. Fortunately he was fast enough to clamp a hand over the lad's eyes before he saw too much of the way his mother was kissing Remus in the hall.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien finished her paperwork for the day, and decided she would head to the dungeon for the rest of the evening.  
  
She encountered a lot of students out and roaming about the halls, and she remembered that some leeway was being allowed with curfew due to the fact that it was Valentine's Day. Young couples were walking together, boys occasionally ran past and groups of girls could be found giggling or gossiping together in almost any hallway. Including the one that led to the Slytherin dorms.  
  
Lorien frowned as she realized that the group of Slytherin girls gathered in the hall was eyeing her closely as they chatted. She was sure it was unusual for them to see any staff member heading to the Head of Slytherin House's chambers at this time of night, never mind the blonde Ravenclaw witch. Not that it was any of their business, but she preferred, as she was sure Severus did, to be discreet.  
  
She smiled at the group of girls and walked past. She knew they were going to watch to see how long she stayed. It was just the way their minds worked.  
  
  
  
Lorien knocked twice and finally let herself in with the counterspell Snape had given her. The sitting room was empty and she called to him as she walked toward the bedroom.  
  
"Severus?" No answer, but something flickered and caught the corner of her eye and she turned back to the small table. There was a note lying there with her name on it. She opened it curiously and read it. The note posed a question.  
  
  
  
~ Are you up to the challenge of a short quest? ~  
  
  
  
It was his handwriting, but it said nothing else.  
  
Lorien was intrigued by the question, but was unsure exactly what should she do about it. Finally she shrugged and answered the note.  
  
"Yes." she said aloud.  
  
More writing scrawled across the paper.  
  
  
  
~ That's because I know you're worth saving. ~  
  
'  
  
She was startled. Those were her words. She'd said them to him when he'd been recovering in the hospital ward. Is that what this meant? Go to the hospital ward? Well it wouldn't be much of a quest if she didn't leave this room. Lorien thought she understood the clue and left the dungeon to go to the medical wing. She smiled again as she walked past the same group of girls only a few minutes later and they eyed her as they spoke in hushed tones.  
  
No one was in the hospital ward. Lorien looked around and then her eyes went to one of the tables. A piece of parchment sat on it that she was quite sure hadn't been there a little while ago. She smiled as she realized this was going to be interesting.  
  
  
  
'~ Ready? ~  
  
  
  
Was all it asked. "Yes" she said and more writing appeared.  
  
  
  
~ At night they come without being fetched, and by day they are lost without being stolen. ~  
  
  
  
A riddle? Lorien thought about it. Without being fetched.....so they're already there .....but lost by day...lost by day...in the morning...when it gets light. They come with the dark and leave with the light.  
  
She thought she had it. Stars? Stars needed not be fetched, they came at night, and were gone during the day. It was stars, she was sure of it. Now what?  
  
Oh, no! Stars..... the Astronomy tower? Did he mean for her to actually go to the astronomy tower? Evidently he did. Lorien headed for the tower, keeping a quick hex in mind in case she ran into Sinistra. She was rather hoping she did.  
  
  
  
She pushed the heavy door open and stepped out into the cold night air. The observation platform was empty. Amazing considering what night it was. She looked around and saw what she was after. A small slip of parchment pinned to the wall, and Lorien smiled as she wondered what it was going to say. She plucked it off the wall and read it.  
  
  
  
'~ Continue? ~  
  
  
  
"Yes." She answered, and the same neat familiar script appeared again.  
  
  
  
~ What is the first component of the wolfsbane potion? ~  
  
  
  
Easy. He was referring to the same ingredient as a clue that she had given him on Halloween.  
  
Now, what did dragonroot have to do with anything? It was powdered. It turned the water black.....was black part of the clue? Nothing came to her and she rethought it.  
  
Powdered dragonroot changed the water to black and then the next component was mandrake.....wait. Lorien smiled. The first component was not dragonroot. Dragonroot made the WATER black. Technically the first component was water.  
  
Did he mean the lake?  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien cast a warming spell about herself as she rapidly walked to the edge of the lake.  
  
"Lumos." She held a light aloft on her palm and surveyed the water's edge. As far out as she could see, within the light was a small chunk of ice floating with a piece of parchment folded on it. She smiled. This definitely was intriguing.  
  
She summoned the parchment. "Accio." Nothing happened.  
  
"Pain in the....." She grumble at him. It was charmed to remain where it was, and Lorien did not feel like wading in February. She trudged back the way she came a short distance and transformed.  
  
The small dragon launched herself in the air, made one pass, missed, and dove lower on the second and snatched the ice from the water.  
  
  
  
Lorien opened the parchment inside the doors to the main entrance. It appeared to be another riddle.  
  
  
  
'~ When I am young, I am sweet in the sun, when middle-aged I make you merry, when old I am valued more. ~  
  
  
  
Lorien leaned against the wall and thought about it. Something sweet that made you merry when it got older, and then more valuable as it aged.....  
  
She pondered it longer and it came to her. Grapes were sweet in the sun, and wine would make you merry. Wine certainly became more valued as it aged. The answer was wine.  
  
She was closest to her rooms so she decided to try her wine rack first.  
  
When she stood before the cast iron vine she saw the paper pinned to one of the metal leaves, and she retrieved it.  
  
  
  
'~ Almost there, go on? ~  
  
  
  
Well of course! "Yes." she said.  
  
  
  
~ First kiss. ~  
  
  
  
She thought back. It was the night he was injured, before he left. In the potions classroom, near the table. She smiled again and walked more quickly back to the dungeon. She wondered what he was up to. Maybe she had underestimated him.  
  
  
  
She opened the door and walked to the table. A rack of potion vials stood upon it with a note.  
  
  
  
'~ Solve this to gain entry. Ready? ~  
  
  
  
She looked up. The storage room door was nearby and closed. Six vials sat on the table. The first three were filled with blue liquid, the second three were empty.  
  
"Yes." She said.  
  
  
  
~ Make the full and empty vials alternate. ~  
  
  
  
'Well that's easy.' She thought, but then the writing continued.  
  
  
  
~ You may move only one. ~  
  
  
  
Not so easy. Lorien considered the problem for several minutes. There was no way to move just one into a different position without switching with a second one. How did she alternate a full and an empty if she couldn't move more than one?  
  
She stood there picturing moving different vials, but no matter which one she picked up, empty or full, she would have to move another to alternate them.  
  
She pictured it. Full, empty, full, empty, full, empty.....that was it. Move one and empty it. She picked up the second vial and emptied it into the fifth. They now alternated, and she had moved only one vial.  
  
She smiled. 'Very clever, Severus.'  
  
  
  
She went to the storeroom door and opened it. The smaller room's torches sputtered and ignited. Parchment was pinned to the lacquered cabinet.  
  
  
  
'~ Last component. Ready? ~  
  
  
  
"Yes." She said, anxious to see what was next.  
  
  
  
'~ The counterspell is the first word I ever said to you. ~  
  
  
  
Lorien smiled. She was now standing in the very first place she had ever encountered Severus all those months ago. She would NEVER forget the first thing he ever said to her. 'WHAT, may I ask, are you doing?' He had scared her out of her wits when he'd crept up behind her, although she would never admit it to him.  
  
She took the odd-looking key on the chain around her neck, unlocked the door and gave it a smack. Sure enough it didn't open.  
  
"What." She spoke to the cabinet.  
  
The door swung open revealing the cabinet was nearly empty, but Lorien found herself looking upon a single flower on the shelf. It was an iris so dark blue in color, that it was very difficult to tell that it wasn't black. It was exquisite.  
  
Lorien reached in to claim her prize and held it in her hand, gazing at it for a long moment. When she turned around Severus was leaning against the doorway with his arms folded watching her intently.  
  
He came nearer silently and spoke only after he had looked for a long moment at her. "Do you like it?" He asked, indicating the flower.  
  
She smiled sweetly at him. "Oh, Severus. It's beautiful."  
  
"As are you, Sylvanesti." He said in that dangerous velvet voice, and she felt herself blushing when he lifted her hand to his lips, eyes still on hers.  
  
He smiled at her and offered her an arm. "Come." He said, and she placed her hand on his arm as he led her out of the storage room. The torches sputtered out.  
  
  
  
She spoke to him as he led her along the hallway, one hand tucked under his elbow, one carrying the iris. "I have a confession, Severus."  
  
He glanced sideways at her as they walked. "And what would that be?"  
  
She tried to find the right way to say it. "I never expected.....well, I didn't think that..."  
  
"That I would even acknowledge what day it was?" He finished for her.  
  
She smiled and nodded.  
  
He snorted. "I see what little faith you have in me."  
  
She knew he wasn't really upset. "Not true. I merely...underestimated you."  
  
They were nearing the group of Slytherin girls that had now gone oddly quiet at the sight of Lorien on the potions master's arm. Not a word was spoken as he looked steadily at the group. None dared meet his gaze as he passed.  
  
They reached his chambers and he held the door open to allow her inside.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Next chapter is devoted to my fellow Slytherins - Marlina, Ariel, Draco and Severus, and more Noah! 


	19. The Slytherins

Nataly - Thanks very much and welcome to the house of Slytherin!  
  
Queenie - Thanks a bunch. Hope this little fic has made the wait for CoS a little easier.  
  
MandaB - Hello again and welcome to AHN!  
  
DotKnight - e-hugs for both of your reviews. Please don't apologize for the outburst about the decision - I take it as a compliment if my writing evokes a strong emotional response!  
  
Speaking of which -  
  
After two long stories, two vignettes, 190,000 words, 53 chapters, over 540 reviews, and almost seven months of fanfiction writing...I have finally been flamed. *grins and throws head back to laugh* Thank you so much for the experience, and that charming, eloquent commentary.  
  
A/N: We shall dedicate THIS chapter to the marvelous Jason Isaacs, who I agree was the perfect Lucius Malfoy.  
  
And one last thing - if you have not seen the latest people magazine, (you know, the sexiest man of 2002 edition) skip the cover story and go to the section on surprisingly sexy men of 2002. This picture of Alan Rickman is absolutely marvelous. *purrs* (Don't know who would be surprised that the man was sexy, though.) Even easier -check this out! http://www.rickmanistareview.com/people.html  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hope everyone is having a good weekend, and I hope all my American counterparts had a peaceful and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday.  
  
I wanted to tell you all that if ever you decide to brave the madness in the malls the day after Thanksgiving to go Christmas shopping, I highly recommend that you take at least one wizard along with you. I took two with me. (Three guesses as to who the Scrooge was that bowed out of going with me, Remus and Sirius in our Santa hats.)  
  
Parking was a nightmare until Remus intervened with a charm that convinced the gentleman that had just taken the spot I'd been waiting patiently for that he'd forgotten something important, and he pulled out quickly and left the mall, and the space to me.  
  
It was much easier to find everything I wanted in the right size and color this year too - it helps to have a master of transfiguration like Sirius along. ;)  
  
The guys were amused at seeing so many muggles at one time, and even though I wanted to have lunch at one of the restaurants, they insisted on the food court. We hit Mickey D's and Cinnabon. (Sirius actually ate two of those things!)  
  
Remus loved the local nature store, and spent a lot of time wandering through it, but it was really the electronics store that had him captivated. Well, not so much the electronics, as the video games. I believe he's probably the first wizard addicted to Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. The kids in the store weren't happy when Remus started to beat them all, and we left with him the top martial arts combatant of the day. ( BTW, in case you're wondering - he likes Raiden.)  
  
We were worried we had lost Sirius at one point in the crowded mall, but should have known better when we found him sitting in Macy's playing Santa with his hat on. Well, sort of. No kids, but there were two blonde cuties from the Clinique counter sitting on his lap. We were able to persuade him to get back to shopping, but only after I promised to show him how to actually use the phone numbers he acquired.  
  
All in all it was a productive day, and we had a lot of fun. We actually managed to convince Severus (ok harass until he gave in) and my brother (the only one that knows I hang with wizards) to go out to the local watering hole with us when we got back. We still couldn't get him to wear a Santa hat,(big surprise) but it proved to be an interesting evening, as somehow he struck up a rapport with the bartender and we ended up drinking all night for free.  
  
I think it was his appreciation of the barkeep's skill, and I can assure you that the Potions master now has now also mastered quite a repertoire of muggle alcoholic concotions. Remus and Sirius now both reluctantly agree that he might be useful at a Christmas party after all.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Slytherins ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina faced a problem with Noah the morning after she spent the evening having dinner with Remus. He had decided that he was upset that he had been left out of their evening together and wanted to know why Remus didn't want to have dinner with him too. It was a difficult thing to explain to a six year old.  
  
She was in the middle of an attempt at it when the knock came at her door. It was Remus. Noah just pouted and turned his back.  
  
"Good morning, Marlie. Is Noah here?" Remus asked with a wink.  
  
She looked a bit puzzled at his question. "Why yes, Remus. He is." She answered, unsure how to tell him that Noah was out of sorts.  
  
Remus smiled as he looked in at the young boy's turned back. "Do you think he might be available this morning for a while?"  
  
Marlina suddenly caught on. "I'm not sure, Remus. I don't think he is." She said so Noah could hear.  
  
"So you don't think he'd be able to see the Gryffindor tower with me?" Remus sounded a little hurt.  
  
Marlina smiled at Remus since her back was turned to Noah. "No, I'm afraid....."  
  
"Can I go, Mom?" Noah was at the door before she could say anything else.  
  
"Just go put your shoes on first."  
  
The little boy ran to get his shoes.  
  
Marlina sighed and looked at Remus gratefully. 'Thank you." She said quietly. "He was feeling a little left out."  
  
Remus nodded understandingly. "I thought he might."  
  
"So what would you say if I went with you men?" Marlina asked suddenly.  
  
"To the Gryffindor tower? Seriously?" Remus asked, sounding genuinely surprised.  
  
Marlina nodded. "Yes. I've never actually seen it."  
  
"Well. Looks like your turn to feel left out." Remus teased as Noah ran back to where they were talking. "Gryffindors only, right Noah?"  
  
"Right." Noah agreed cheerfully.  
  
"And what am I supposed to do while you two are off together?" She demanded playfully.  
  
"Whatever it is that you Slytherins do when you're pouting about not being allowed into the very cool Gryffindor tower." Remus had Noah laughing at his mother as the two of them went off together.  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina shut the door and leaned her back against it, thinking for a moment how lucky she was to have met Remus Lupin. She thought on his words as he teased her from the hallway and decided that she would indeed take advantage of the fact that the Gryffindor men were gone for a while. She went to a locked chest in the bedroom and took out the things she needed and headed for the courtyard.  
  
In all her time working as a member of the WCU and as a member of the staff at the Wyandotte Zoo of Magical Creatures, Marlina had become proficient in many techniques of animal capture and restraint. She had occasion to demonstrate and practice many of them in class, but not all and she liked to keep herself sharp at all times. With wild animals one never knew just exactly when something unexpected might happen, and she didn't want to takes chances with any of the creatures that she presented in class.  
  
Today she decided that in her free time a little target practice might be a good thing, and she knelt in the courtyard and opened the box of darts she used for practice with the crossbow. These were harmless, but the other box she kept with her where ever she traveled contained another set. There were those with blue feathers that were treated with a very potent tranquilizing potion, and those with black feathers that were for emergencies only. They were treated with a deadly poison, and it had been a rare occasion indeed when she had need of them.  
  
Of course the darts were charmed to improve accuracy, but Marlina believed firmly in the safety measures she preached, and never left anything to chance. She still practiced shooting whenever she got the opportunity.  
  
She loaded the first harmless white dart and released the charmed practice target that leaped away from her quickly and shot across the courtyard. She traced it's rapid movement with a trained eye through the sights on the crossbow and let fly a tiny bit ahead of where the target was. A resounding 'thwack' sounded as the dart struck, and Marlina smiled to herself.  
  
"You've still got your touch, Marlie." She said aloud to herself, and she loaded the next dart.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The enormous eagle owl swooped low and barely cleared the edges of the window as it folded its great wings for an instant and shot into the Slytherin dormitory, where it spread them once again to break and land on the back of a chair. It sat calmly regarding Draco Malfoy with large luminous eyes.  
  
"Hello, Acheron." Draco said as he ran his hand down the feathered back. "Do you have good news or bad for me tonight?" He smiled as he spoke to the bird and took the message it carried for him. The bird regarded him quietly and blinked once or twice slowly as it waited.  
  
Malfoy spoke the countercurse and broke the seal and read the note inscribed on the parchment before him. A slow smile spread across his face as he read and he found that it was indeed good news the owl delivered. Evidently his information had been deemed 'useful' and he was now to await further instructions.  
  
Draco was definitely pleased. It looked like he would get to play an even larger part in this than he had hoped.  
  
He quickly tossed the parchment into the fire and picked up a quill to send a return. He had new information to pass along. Perhaps this was not as helpful, but he never missed the opportunity to pass along anything that seemed even remotely useful.  
  
What Pansy had told him she had seen in the hallway with the rest of the group of Slytherin girls seemed like it might be such, at least to his father. She had seen Snape leading the Mistress of the Healing Arts to his chambers.  
  
"Idiot." He said aloud as he wrote.  
  
It wasn't the fact that the man had taken her to his rooms, Draco didn't blame him for.....indulging. Most of the older Slytherin males had themselves confessed (in most vulgar ways) to having considered what the prospect of bedding several of the attractive older witches would be like. No, it was the fact that he 'escorted' her so blatantly that gave away the fact that she was more than a plaything to him. Perhaps much more than a plaything.  
  
"Huh!" Draco snorted at the thought of Snape taking a liking to the witch. Maybe the news wouldn't be needed now, but Draco knew that the elder Malfoy would at least tuck the information away for later. Just in case.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Not only did Ariel Sinistra dislike Lorien, but she now very much disliked Marlina Perkins. She was in her tower that night under the stars when she saw the red haired witch and her young son walking together with Lupin to escort them around the grounds near the castle.  
  
At first she found herself wondering how she could do something to disrupt the relationship that was obviously quickly taking the place of his last one, but then the realization that it just wouldn't matter hit her. He didn't think of her that way and he never would. It didn't matter if he was with the blonde healer or the red haired professor, Remus Lupin just wasn't attracted to her.  
  
Her eyes narrowed and she thought about the fact that he had come to threaten her in her own tower.  
  
"How dare he." She spoke quietly to herself, but in an angry manner. She decided at that moment that she would show him that he never should have threatened her; never should have rejected her in the first place.  
  
"Alright, Professor. How about a lesson you won't soon forget?" Sinistra turned and walked determinedly out of the Astronomy tower.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus brought a very excited Noah back to Marlina a few hours after they left her, and he ended up spending most of the day with them. They had finished the evening with a walk outside as a threesome.  
  
Remus waited in the sitting room while Marlina put Noah to bed. He smiled to himself as he could tell there was some protest being raised by the boy in the next room, and he was surprised when they re-emerged together again.  
  
Marlina looked at him. "Remus, Noah doesn't want to go to bed unless he gets to say goodnight to you." She seemed a little frustrated.  
  
Remus got up and went to Noah and knelt on one knee. "How about a goodnight hug?" He asked the boy tentatively.  
  
Noah nodded vigorously and grabbed Remus in a bear hug, as Remus found himself suddenly hugging the child back. He stayed there for a moment and then looked at Marlina over Noah's shoulder and smiled.  
  
"Come on, Noah. I'll come in to say goodnight." Remus rose and went to tuck the auburn haired boy into bed. "Now get some sleep, ok?"  
  
Noah merely smiled and nodded.  
  
"Nox." Remus put out the light and went back to the sitting room to join Marlina on the couch.  
  
He smiled as he sat beside her but his smiled quickly faded as he saw that she appeared to be crying. He quickly took her hands in his. "Marlie, what is it?" He asked.  
  
It took her a moment to decide what to say, and then she spoke. "Remus, I just don't know how to tell you how much I appreciate everything you do for me and for Noah."  
  
"I think you just did." He answered softly.  
  
"You mean a great deal to him. To both of us." She said, looking steadily inot his soft gray eyes.  
  
Remus pulled her closer. "You've come to mean a great deal to me as well. Both of you."  
  
"Really?" She asked.  
  
"Yes." He kissed her gently when she looked up at him.  
  
She snuggled in against him as he sat back on the couch and spoke softly. "Remus, you've made it so easy to be open with you, for me and my son. I've found it difficult to trust a lot of people the same way I did before my husband died. I guess I was always afraid of Noah getting hurt."  
  
"Just Noah?" He asked quietly, pulling her a little tighter against him.  
  
"No." She said, and they were quiet for a moment.  
  
"Marlie?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you trust me?" He asked in a very concerned way.  
  
She sat up a little and looked into the gray eyes again. "Absolutely." She said softly, and then she was kissing him.  
  
Remus was feeling extremely guilty as Marlina finally pulled away. She was placing her utmost trust in him and he didn't feel he deserved it. What was she ever going to think? He couldn't bear the thought, but he knew he had to tell her. Just not tonight. He was being selfish and wanted to have tonight with the two of them. He wanted to stay here with her near him just a little bit longer.  
  
The thought that it was only a matter of time before she found out some other way crossed his mind, and he decided that before the next full moon he would tell her.  
  
Remus held Marlie tightly as he realized the next full moon was not far away.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
On the afternoon of the staff meeting, Snape had taught his last class for the day and decided to go to the staff room early and read for a while. That way he could be sure to grab one of the chairs that he could make a quick getaway from after the meeting.  
  
He walked into the room to find it nearly deserted except for Forsythia Sprout and the boy. Marlina Perkin's son. What was his name? Noah. That was it.  
  
Snape looked at Sprout as he entered and nodded in acknowledgment. He settled himself into a chair with the latest volume of the Alchemy Society Review and began to read.  
  
" Are you going to be here until the staff meeting?" Sprout was addressing him.  
  
"Yes." He answered her without looking up.  
  
"Oh good. Would you mind?" She asked. "I have one or two things I need to do before Minerva gets here."  
  
"Mind?" He looked up distractedly.  
  
Sprout indicated the boy playing on the floor. "Keep an eye on him? I'm sure you can handle half an hour." She threw it out as a challenge so he couldn't say no.  
  
Snape had a sharp retort poised but then thought better of saying what he was going to in front of the child. "Fine." He said stiffly.  
  
Sprout left him alone with the child, and he went back to reading.  
  
After a few minutes he became aware of the fact that someone was watching him as he read. Very slowly he lowered the journal to peer over the top at the small boy standing before him.  
  
"Hi, Severus." Noah said cheerfully.  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow at being addressed in such a manner by the six year old and lowered the journal further to look at the auburn haired lad.  
  
"Good afternoon, Master Noah." He replied coolly.  
  
Noah, of course never noticed the tone of voice the wizard used and stepped closer to look at the publication Snape had in his hands. "What are you reading?"  
  
Snape stared at the boy for a long moment and then forced himself to answer patiently. "A journal on potion brewing."  
  
"Why?" Noah asked.  
  
"That is what I teach here at Hogwarts, Noah." Snape was trying not to grit his teeth as he answered.  
  
"Potions?" Noah sounded impressed. "You're a teacher?"  
  
"Yes." Snape could feel himself becoming tense.  
  
"What house are you?" Noah sat himself in the chair next to the dark robed mage and waited for an answer as he swung his legs back and forth.  
  
Snape leaned his elbow on the arm of his chair and his forehead against his fingers. "Slytherin." He replied, fighting to keep his voice under control.  
  
"Really? You're a Slytherin like my mom?" Noah asked.  
  
"I am the HEAD of Slytherin House here at Hogwarts." He snapped a little at the boy. Noah didn't notice.  
  
"Cool." Noah paused for a moment or two, still swinging his legs. "I got to pick my own house." He added finally.  
  
"Did you now?" Snape had crumpled a large part of the parchment in his other hand.  
  
"Know what house I am?" Noah asked, obviously eager to tell the man he was sitting with.  
  
Snape had buried his face in his hand. "No." He said without looking up. "But I suppose you're going to tell me?"  
  
"Gryffindor." Noah announced with a smile.  
  
Snape looked up and let his hand drop. "Why am I not surprised?" He asked. His sarcasm was lost on the six year old.  
  
"Yup, same house as Remus and Sirius." Noah said as if he were telling Snape something new.  
  
"No kidding." Snape said caustically as he began to desperately wonder where the hell Sprout or McGonagall or just about anyone else was.  
  
"Know what else?" Noah asked.  
  
Snape didn't trust himself to speak at this point and merely looked back at the boy.  
  
"Same house as Harry Potter!" Noah stated proudly.  
  
Snape was sure he was going to lose it.  
  
  
  
"Good afternoon, gentlemen."  
  
Snape's head snapped up and he glanced around desperately to see who might have come as his savior. His expression darkened rapidly as he saw the look of amusement on McGonagall's face.  
  
She walked into the room and sat in her customary chair at the head of the table.  
  
"Hi, Minerva!" Noah hopped out of his chair to change it for the one next to the Transfiguration professor.  
  
McGonagall spoke to Noah but she was looking still at Severus with a gleam in her eye. "So I heard you say you're a Gryffindor, Noah?"  
  
"Yup." He said from where he sat now, banging both feet together repeatedly.  
  
She smiled sweetly at Snape. "You mean you didn't pick Slytherin like your mother?"  
  
"Nope." Noah shook his head.  
  
"Why is that, Noah?" McGonagall asked, a smirk twitching at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Gryffindor is cooler." He stated simply.  
  
Minerva looked away from Severus and turned to the small boy as she laughed. "Oh, you couldn't be more correct, young man."  
  
  
  
Professor McGonagall kept herself entertained through the entire staff meeting watching the way Snape glared at her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina got up to leave when the staff meeting was over. She caught Remus's eye from across the room, and returned the smile he gave her. She realized as she stood there that someone else was standing near her. She turned back to meet the glare being given her by Snape, as he waited impatiently for her to realize she was blocking the way.  
  
"Oops. Sorry, Severus." She said apologetically.  
  
He huffed at her and glanced across the room to see what was so darn fascinating that she found herself rooted to the spot in his way like a tree stump. It obviously was Remus Lupin. One more way that the man managed to annoy... It suddenly dawned on him that there must be something going on between them and Snape suddenly found himself speaking cordially to Marlina. "That's quite alright, Marlina. Now, if you'll excuse me." He walked past her and out into the hall.  
  
Snape walked quickly down the hallway and realized that he was actually in a good mood after the staff meeting. Not that he would ever admit it. It had occasionally nagged at him that there was a possibility that Lupin still lingered in the wings after Lorien had ended their relationship, and the thought that he might at some point attempt to vie for Lorien's affections again periodically made him cringe.  
  
Of course, there was little doubt in his mind as to how she felt about each of them now, and he smiled when he thought that Lupin wouldn't stand much of a chance. It still didn't hurt, however, in Snape's mind, that Lupin probably was focusing his energies on another witch.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina collected Noah from where he sat next to Professor McGonagall and they walked back to her rooms together. "Did you have a good lesson today with Hermione?" She asked him as they walked.  
  
"Yup." He answered.  
  
"And you spent time with Professor Sprout?" She asked.  
  
"Yup, and Severus." Noah informed her.  
  
"Sev.....Professor Snape?" Marlina was surprised that the irritable Head of Slytherin would take the time to deal with the boy. "What did you talk about.?" She asked curiously.  
  
"Potions, and how Gryffindor is cooler than Slytherin." Noah answered innocently, unaware that it was him that caused his mother to laugh all the way back to their rooms.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kitty Nicoe has done a cool drawing of her version of Lorien for me. Check out http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/943801  
  
CHALLNGE UPDATE: The latest entry is from Zephyre, and it's called 'Prelude to a Dance War'. The title alone should get you giggling. Go check it out. Unique potion, Black and Snape at each other's throats in an IC and amusing way, and an ....um....interesting undercover mission coming up. http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1088147 


	20. Auror's Apology

Draco-luver - Ah, but I did tell you in chapter 18. As a matter of fact, Severus himself tells you. *wink*  
  
Atheis - No! Not that! Not the orange cough syrup! Really, it was only a tiny little flame.  
  
Many thanks as usual to everyone who reviewed!! I guess even to Jigglydot. :P  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Auror's Apology ~*~  
  
  
  
Blaise Zabini was in the hospital ward in a good deal of discomfort after the fifth year had been hexed by one of his housemates with the conjunctivitis curse, and sat on an exam table wincing as Lorien applied several drops of the appropriate healing potion to each eye. She finished and waited for the student in front of her to stop blinking at the feel of the cold medication.  
  
"That looks a bit better." She said, checking the tall Slytherin's second eye. "Feel better?" She asked.  
  
Zabini nodded.  
  
"How's your vision now? Less blurry?" Lorien asked.  
  
"It's much better now." He confirmed as he hopped down off the exam table. He headed for the door.  
  
"You'll still have a bit of difficulty for a few hours in bright light." Lorien called after the teenager.  
  
Blaise nodded and stood there for a moment, and then looked back at the medical witch. "Mistress Lorien?" He called back to where Lorien had started to put away the medications she'd used. She looked up at him. "Thanks." He said awkwardly.  
  
"You're quite welcome." She replied with a smile as he left. She knew that 'thank you' wasn't always the easiest thing for a lot of Slytherins to manage.  
  
She was just picking up the roll of parchment that was the student's chart, when two long-eared owls flew into the room and landed on the exam table. She sighed and looked from owl to owl as the two birds waited patiently. It wasn't likely that they were both from Perth, and that meant that there was a good chance that one of the letters was going to make her angry.  
  
She finally reached for the letter on her left, and recognized the writing at once as that of her best friend, Rachel, and smiled. The smile was short-lived however, as she read the note her friend wrote about the Nemorosi witch that had been tortured and killed the day before; a woman that both of them were acquainted with.  
  
"Damnit." Lorien swore aloud after reading the letter. It was more bad news today after the story in the Daily Prophet this morning that had told of an alleged Death Eater attack on the Department of Magical Transportation building.  
  
Lorien suddenly felt very tired after dealing with the news of witch executions, Death Eater attacks, and the mounting tensions in the House of Slytherin evidenced by the increasing frequency of spats like the one Zabini was involved in. She looked at the second owl after dismissing the first, and sincerely hoped that the letter was from Perth.  
  
It wasn't, but Lorien still recognized the handwriting.  
  
Marius.  
  
Again.  
  
Lorien grabbed a potion vial off the shelf, and took two swigs to deal with the developing headache she was too agitated to tackle on her own. She finally opted to open the letter and once more was irritated at the audacity of the man, as she had been on Valentine's day when she read the contents.  
  
She tossed the letter into the fireplace once again, and fumed. Marius just wasn't getting it, was he? It didn't matter how much she had insisted that it was OVER, the Nemorosi wizard just wasn't letting the issue drop.  
  
Why did he think she left her old job and came all the way to Hogwarts in the first place? Why did he think she never answered his letters? Why did he think that she refused to even see him when she'd been visiting Perth over the winter?  
  
As far as she was concerned, there'd been very little worthwhile between them at the time, and there was definitely nothing now. She was actually beginning to thoroughly dislike the man.  
  
As a matter of fact, it was only her concern for his well being as a Nemorosi that kept her from voicing her displeasure to Severus. Her beloved but dark companion would probably be less than pleased to learn of Marius's persistence in making her unhappy, and Lorien decided that for now, silence was best if she wanted to allow Marius to keep the same number of limbs. (Whether the Slytherin mage would opt for providing Marius with more or fewer limbs, was hard to say.)  
  
Lorien decided that she needed to relax at the end of a stressful day, and she grabbed a quill and parchment, and head for the dungeon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaneene picked the night she was not on duty to go to the dungeon to try to speak with Snape. She didn't realize that she had picked the night one week before the full moon and that she wouldn't find him in his office. It took her a moment to brace herself outside the door to the potions classroom, and then she knocked and went in.  
  
Snape looked up when she entered and she thought she saw the briefest look of surprise on his face before his expression neutralized. He was standing near the cauldron he had just kindled a flame under.  
  
"Something I can do for you, Moody?" His voice was icy and he appeared impatient.  
  
"Do you have a minute?" She asked, firming her resolve and walking closer to the table where he was working.  
  
He stared at her and then finally spoke. "One."  
  
Lorien was right. He wasn't going to make this easy. Kaneene took a deep breath and blew it out before she walked closer to where he was working. She glanced at the water starting to heat in the cauldron and the components he had spread across the table. "What on earth are you making?" She asked, picking up a small vial of pale green fluid and looking at it curiously.  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed for an instant, and he lifted the vial from her fingers and set it back in its position on the table. "Wolfsbane potion." He said tersely.  
  
"Oh." She searched for what to say first.  
  
"Miss Moody, is there something you actually wanted to say?" Snape asked, obviously annoyed.  
  
Kaneene kicked herself mentally. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there is something that I would like to speak to you about."  
  
"Which would be...?" Snape asked sarcastically.  
  
"My brother." She replied. "I understand now what you did for him."  
  
"Do you? And I suppose you're here to condemn me for my use of illegal magic? Going to arrest me like a good little auror, Moody?" Snape sneered at her.  
  
"No." She said, uncharacteristically holding her tongue. "I came because I know you saved his life. I wanted the opportunity to let you know how much I appreciate it."  
  
Snape said nothing but watched her intently as she moved to stand near him.  
  
"Severus? I really just wanted to say thank you." She said. "You have no idea how much my brother means to me."  
  
He looked at her for a long time, gauging her sincerity, and finally he answered in a civilized tone. "You are quite welcome."  
  
Kaneene smiled at him. "One other thing." She said, after hesitating a moment.  
  
He raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I'd like to apologize for making assumptions about you that apparently aren't true." She said, meeting his midnight gaze steadily. "I hope that we might be able to work together better in the future, Severus."  
  
He merely nodded.  
  
She smiled with relief that he had accepted her apology. "I'll let you get back to your work." She turned and walked across the room.  
  
"Moody." She heard him call, as she almost reached the door, and she turned back to look at him again.  
  
"Thank you, Kaneene." He said, and went back to work at the cauldron.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaneene was relieved when the encounter was over. It had gone well, and Snape had actually remained civil to her the whole time. Perhaps it was a good thing after all that she'd been wrong about him.  
  
She was still puzzled by one thing though - why hadn't Snape ever said anything before? At present, she and Lorien were the only other ones that knew why Keath was still alive. Obviously the man must have his reasons, and she decided that she would not tell Keath either. When one wizard saved the life of another, it created a bond between them, and if Keath didn't know, his burden of indebtedness fell to her to repay since she did.  
  
As much as her feelings about Snape had changed, she still preferred that it be her and not her little brother that owed such a debt to the dark robed mage.  
  
  
  
Kaneene met Lorien on her way out of the dungeon and the Hogwarts healer smiled knowingly.  
  
Lorien spoke first "So, I assume that you're coming from speaking with Severus."  
  
Kaneene nodded and sighed again with relief.  
  
"How did it go?" Lorien asked.  
  
"Well." Said Kaneene. "It went well. You gave me good advice, Lorien."  
  
"Glad to help." Lorien replied cordially. "It benefits us all if everyone trusts each other."  
  
Kaneene nodded in agreement. "He even said 'thank you' before I left."  
  
"He must have felt you were sincere." Lorien replied, impressed that the auror had gotten such a reaction out of the man.  
  
"I was." Said Kaneene softly.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien saw that Severus was about to start the potion when she walked into the room, and she walked quietly to the front of the room as he double checked all the components on the table.  
  
He glanced up at her briefly and said nothing, but she could see he smiled just a little at the thought of the fact that she was always here on the night a week before the full moon.  
  
"Something you need?" A typical question from him, but in a gentle voice.  
  
Lorien shook her head and stood next to him. "Nothing. I just came to keep you company." She kissed him on the cheek and sat down nearby with the quill and parchment she carried to write a letter to Perth while he worked.  
  
As Snape sprinkled the dragonroot powder in the cauldron and the water went murky black, Lorien started her letter.  
  
She wrote saying that she hoped he was well, and told of everything lately had been happening at Hogwarts. She told him of the bounty hunters in Hogsmeade and quite a bit about her lessons with Harry.  
  
Lorien looked up briefly, to watch Severus at work for a few minutes as she thought about what else she wanted to say.  
  
She included a few more pleasantries and told him about some of the interesting cases she had treated lately. She ended the letter and sat staring at it for a minute and then looked up as the reflected light from the cauldron changed. The potion was bluish. She found herself watching Severus work again for a long time. He didn't appear to notice from where he was focused on the task before him.  
  
The potion was opaque white now, and Lorien added a postscript to her letter.  
  
~ P.S. I've decided. ~  
  
She smiled, and wondered if Perth had already guessed. She hoped he had because she wasn't going to tell him.  
  
"Lorien." Snape's voice pulled her out of her own musings. She looked up at him, and then at the potion. It was still white, so she knew he wasn't done.  
  
"Here." He pointed next to him and spoke softly.  
  
She rose and went to stand next to him, wondering what he needed from her. "What is it?" She asked.  
  
He pointed to the last three components on the table. "You're going to help me finish this."  
  
Lorien suddenly felt apprehensive. He couldn't be serious. She couldn't risk jeopardizing all the work he had just done. "Severus, I don't think....."  
  
"Only three components." He must have seen her hesitation and he drew her to stand in front of him before the cauldron. She still hesitated.  
  
"Go on." He said, and she realized that she was going to upset the timing if she waited any longer. She reached for the vial of passionflower infusion on the table, and he gave her instructions, speaking softly just behind her. "Eight drops for the eight phases of the moon."  
  
She nodded to acknowledge him, and raised the vial over the cauldron. Her hand was unsteady. Of all things. She had brewed a few simple potions in her day, and quite competently, but now with this particular potion, and here in front of him of all people, she could feel her hand shaking. So much for coming to the dungeon to relax.  
  
His hands rested against her shoulders. "Go on." He said again, very softly.  
  
Lorien added six drops quickly, and then hesitantly two more. She set the vial down, relieved that she hadn't accidentally added too much in her unsteadiness.  
  
"Counterclockwise eight times." He instructed her, ignoring the fact that she seemed uncertain about continuing.  
  
Lorien hesitated for a second, and then felt his hand slide along her arm as she held her hand out over the cauldron. He rested his hand on top of hers as they changed the direction of the opaque liquid in front of them. By the eighth swirl in the cauldron, Lorien could feel Severus press closer from behind, and his free arm went around her waist to pull her back against him a little.  
  
Lorien now had distraction to contend with as well as nerves, and she wondered if he was tormenting her on purpose. She reached for the next vial and waited for instruction. Severus said nothing. "How much?" She asked, and still got no reply. She turned to look over her shoulder at him.  
  
"How many times have you watched me do this, Miss Desjardins?" He asked sardonically.  
  
Lorien thought there was the tiniest hint of mischief in his voice as she turned to face forward again. "Many." She replied, as she felt her face getting warm. "I confess my attention was not always on the process." She admitted, blushing redder. She was glad that he was standing behind her now.  
  
"Three." He said, tightening his grip around her waist, and nuzzling her ear.  
  
"Three drops? And then what?" She was trying to focus, and he was obviously out to make this more difficult.  
  
"Clockwise fifteen." He replied, amused that she was floundering a little. "You have about four seconds left to add the wood betony, Lorien." He informed her as he continued his distractions.  
  
Lorien nearly panicked at the thought of ruining all his work, and added three drops too quickly to the potion, and caught her breath as she saw the fourth drop clinging to the lip of the vial suspended over the cauldron. She froze so it wouldn't shake loose and slowly started to move her other hand to catch the drop if it fell.  
  
Severus chose that moment to playfully nip her neck, and the fourth drop of wood betany fell loose when she inhaled sharply. She swung her free hand frantically and the fourth drop splashed harmlessly on her palm. She blew out the breath that she'd been holding.  
  
"Severus, honestly! You ask me to help..."  
  
"Fifteen times." He said, interrupting her and sliding his right hand along her arm again to rest his hand on hers.  
  
Lorien began counting as they stirred the potion, but was having trouble keeping count with Severus at work behind her.  
  
She finally resorted to counting out loud. "Five....six...Quit that!.....Seven.....eight...Stop it!....nine.....ten...Severus!" She squealed and lost count. "Damnit! Was that eleven or twelve?"  
  
"Twelve." He said distractedly.  
  
"Are you sure?" She asked, completely flustered now.  
  
"Quite."  
  
She stirred it three more times and looked at the powdered wolfsbane. Thank Merlin, it was the last component. "Just throw it in?" She asked, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible.  
  
"Yes." He replied.  
  
She reached for the gray-green powder and cast it into the cauldron. She knew to stir it five times counterclockwise, but was stopped short by the gasp she heard from Severus behind her.  
  
"Left hand, Lorien!" He said sharply. "You always add the wolfsbane with your left hand!" He let go of her completely and stepped quickly away.  
  
Lorien was sure she was going to faint.  
  
She'd just ruined the whole thing and he was going to be up all night starting from scratch. She turned to him, with a devastated expression, intent on trying to apologize in some way. He was standing with his arms folded across his chest, jaw clenched in an apparent effort to not yell at her.  
  
"Severus, I....I'm so sorry." She began. "I didn't know...." Obviously she'd done more than irritate him this time. "Look. I'll help you get everything ready again...."  
  
She trailed off , puzzled, as Severus stepped quickly past her and stirred the potion five times counterclockwise. He remained standing with his back to her for a moment, and then went to sit in the nearby chair. He rested an elbow on the arm of the chair and leaned his forehead against his fingers.  
  
"Severus?" She asked tentatively, her heart sinking.  
  
"What?" His normally controlled voice cracked.  
  
That was when Lorien's eyes narrowed and she quickly went to where he was sitting. "Severus!" She said more sharply, as he looked away from her. His shoulders were shaking now and she knew she was going to kill him.  
  
"Severus Snape! I swear that if you're laughing....if you were lying to me...."  
  
Snape couldn't help himself any longer and threw his head back and laughed.  
  
Lorien realized that she'd been had again by the devious Slytherin. "That left hand stuff was a load of wyvern dung, wasn't it?" She asked, very annoyed now.  
  
He nodded, trying to regain his composure.  
  
Lorien angrily uttered something at him in Nemorosi that was best not repeated in polite company, and Severus began to laugh again when he got the gist of what she was suggesting to him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina was finishing with her last class of the week, and noticed that Remus was waiting for her as usual.  
  
"Hey, great class." He said appreciatively from where he was standing at the edge of the courtyard.  
  
"Thanks." She smiled, pleased that he was here, waiting for her.  
  
"Are you going to get Noah?" He asked, as they walked inside together.  
  
"Yes. Want to come with me?" She asked him.  
  
"Can't." He said, shaking his head "There are a few things I need to do before dinner, but I'll see you there."  
  
She nodded and went to get Noah as Remus went to the hospital wing.  
  
  
  
  
  
When Marlina and Noah had returned to their rooms for the evening, Marlina was still smiling to herself when she thought about Remus coming every week to watch her last class.  
  
She sighed and sat on the small couch as Noah busied himself playing with some of his toys on the floor. She was lucky, she knew. Luck to have met someone that liked her AND her son. Someone so thoughtful and caring. Someone like Remus Lupin.  
  
She smiled again when she thought of their date, and all the silly questions she'd had so much fun tormenting him with.  
  
'Remus Jarett Lupin.' She mused, closing her eyes and thinking about kissing him by the whomping willow. 'R.J. Lupin.' She thought and let her head fall back against the couch. She was suddenly amused, and wondered if anyone had called him R.J. as a child.  
  
Suddenly her eyes flew open and she sat up. 'R. J. Lupin.' She pictured it differently in her mind. 'Lupin, R. J.' A large knot quickly tightened in her stomach. It couldn't be. She had to be mistaken. She must have part of the name wrong.  
  
She nodded to herself. 'That's all. Just have something mixed up.' She thought and she sat back again.  
  
It still bothered her.  
  
Marlina knew she was being silly, but she just wanted to put that nagging corner of her mind at ease, so she got up and gathered a quill and sheet of parchment. She saw that Noah was absorbed in what he was doing and she sat down to write a letter. It was addressed to Tenny Offut.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione were excited about the announcement that had been circulating around the school, as were many of their classmates. It concerned a party that had been planned for a night in three weeks.  
  
Due to the security concerns and the recommendations made by Sirius, he felt that there should be another distraction for the students since they were not able to go to Hogsmeade, and the quidditch matches had been indefinitely postponed. When he suggested the idea to Minerva she was at first reluctant, but it wasn't long before he was able to convince her that it was a good idea. Dumbledore was all for it.  
  
Ron joined Harry and Hermione at a table in the common room after coming from talking to Fred and George.  
  
"They're up to something." Ron began. "But they won't tell me what. They'll only say they have an idea to liven up the party."  
  
"That's scary." Said Hermione.  
  
"Well, they're going to have their work cut out for them trying to pull any stunts." Harry said. "They need to remember that Sirius is in charge of security and he's likely to have thought of a lot of things they might come up with."  
  
"You mean he's probably already tried a lot of the things they might come up with." Ron said with a grin.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Fred and George had been working together the last few weeks on a new project and were thrilled that it looked like they were going to have the perfect opportunity to try it out.  
  
It was about a week later that they found their way up into the Astronomy tower one evening in order to fine tune things.  
  
"You're sure you've got the timing on these?" George asked Fred. "You don't really want to see Mistress Lorien a fourth time, do you?"  
  
"I've got it, I've got it. Although I don't see a problem with having to see HER again." Fred said dreamily.  
  
George shook his head at his brother. Since the night of the welcoming feast Fred had had a crush on the older woman, and it never bothered him to go to the hospital ward.*  
  
George spoke again as they climbed out of the stairwell. "Well, be sure you've got it right. Remember, you could end up seeing Madame Pomfrey instead." He smiled.  
  
"Hadn't thought of that." Fred said with a grin. "Oh well. I'm sure we've got it down."  
  
"How many did you bring?" Asked George.  
  
"Three." Said Fred.  
  
"Did you bring the one with the message?"  
  
"Yeah, and two others. I've got the silencing spell on these." Fred revealed the three orange-sized orbs he carried and set them on the floor. Two were silver and one was red.  
  
"Excellent. Ready? I'll go first." George took a silver orb and spoke the charm to light the fuse. He hurled the orb as far out into the night sky as he could.  
  
A few seconds later a silent explosion of light filled the sky with an intricate display of dazzling white light. It continued to change and reshape itself into different fiery blossoms for well over thirty seconds.  
  
"Cool. You got that down." George said to Fred.  
  
"I told you." Fred said, smiling at his brother. "May I?" He indicated the red orb.  
  
"Of course."  
  
Fred rifled the red orb off the top of the tower. It silently exploded a few seconds later.  
  
Both Fred and George stood at the wall with their arms folded, nodding with satisfaction as they admired their work.  
  
"These are going to be great." Fred said as he watched the sky.  
  
For approximately half a minute the darkness was lit up with the words 'GRYFFINDOR #1' in giant red and gold letters.  
  
The two brothers completed a high five and turned away from the wall to pick up the last one of the fireworks. It was gone.  
  
Unfortunately, it was being held by Professor Sinistra, who now stood smiling at the twins as she idly tossed it up and down with one hand.  
  
"Lose something, gentlemen?" She asked sweetly.  
  
Neither of the twins said a word.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*You'll recall in WW&S that after seeing Lorien for the first time, Fred says, "Not bad, eh gentlemen? I think I feel sick." And grins like an idiot.  
  
Wood betony was used in the middle ages for many things, including warding off mad dogs. I thought it belonged in the wolfsbane potion in that case. ;)  
  
Next chapter - Severus repays a debt, Sirius starts planning the party, and a bit more flirting between Kaneene and the handsome Gryff. 


	21. No Pajama Parties

A/N: Sorry about the lack of pre-chapter muggle adventures. I've been busy working, shopping and decorating the house. I'm really almost done (this is actually late for me as I'm one of those disgusting people that gets everything done way ahead of Christmas) but I'm stressing about what to get 'the boys'. What the heck do you get for a wizard anyway?  
  
I've offered to microchip Sirius for Remus and register him with the pet-finder service, but he didn't think that was as funny as Remus and I did.  
  
Oh, well. I'll figure something out.  
  
Meanwhile....  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
No Pajama Parties ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Fred and George could only stare back at the Astronomy professor, who was obviously enjoying catching the infamous duo red-handed.  
  
"I suppose you know that you could be in a lot of trouble if I take the time to inform Professor McGonagall that you've been playing with explosives." Sinistra said.  
  
The twins both nodded, silently.  
  
She stood watching them mentally squirming for a few moments and then spoke again. "I'll tell you what. Let's make a little deal."  
  
Fred and George looked at each other and then back at Sinistra. "Right, let's hear it." Said George.  
  
"I'll just go along on my way and pretend I didn't see a thing, as long as you both go straight to your common room." She replied.  
  
Fred and George figured that it was too good to be true. There had to be a catch.  
  
"Where's the catch?" Asked Fred.  
  
"Catch?" Asked Sinistra, innocently. "Oh, you think I'm going to require some other condition. No. None." She replied evenly, to the great relief of both brothers. "Well, there is just one little thing." She added as an afterthought. "I get to keep this." She added, holding up the last magical firework.  
  
Fred and George looked at one another, agreed immediately and bolted out of the tower.  
  
  
  
Ariel left the tower humming to herself, tossing and catching the silver orb again. "You're just the sort of thing I've been looking for." She said, and returned to humming as she descended the stairs.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius was pacing the floor, rubbing his hands together as he thought out loud. "So, tell me, Mr. Moony, what sort of party are we going to plan for the students of Hogwarts?"  
  
"What sort?" Remus asked distractedly, looking up from where he was grading Defense essays.  
  
"You know. We need a theme for the party." Sirius explained. What do you think?"  
  
"I don't know, Padfoot." Remus went back to the stack of parchment in front of him. "It's your idea. You need to decide."  
  
Sirius frowned as he looked at his friend. Remus, not want to help plan a party? He quickly crossed the room and picked up the lunar chart that Remus kept on his desk. Five nights until the full moon, so he shouldn't be having headaches yet.  
  
"Ok. What's up?" Sirius asked. "You've been pre-occupied all day and you haven't told me why."  
  
Remus laid the quill down irritably. "You know, you're always asking me to spill my guts about everything. Did it ever occur to you that there are times when I actually have things I don't feel like talking to you about?"  
  
Sirius winced visibly, obviously hurt by Remus's sharp reply to his concerned questioning. "Fine." He said, waving a hand indifferently. "Sorry I bothered to ask." He spoke as he turned and strode toward the door. He slammed it shut behind him.  
  
Remus sighed. He didn't mean to snap at Sirius. It was just that he was so on edge right now. He had promised himself that he would tell everything to Marlina before the next full moon and he was rapidly running out of time.  
  
Remus crossed the hallway and knocked on Sirius's door.  
  
"Go 'way Moony."  
  
Remus opened the door anyway.  
  
"What part of 'go away' didn't you understand?" Sirius said as he looked up from his own desk.  
  
"Sirius, look. I'm sorry." Remus said quietly. "You know I didn't mean to be such a jerk."  
  
"Yeah, well you were." Sirius shrugged.  
  
Remus sat on the edge of the desk. "Padfoot." He said, waiting until his friend was looking back at him. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Ok. Ok." Sirius replied, very willing to let the whole thing drop.  
  
"It's about Marlie." Remus volunteered, as he remained perched on the desk in front of Sirius.  
  
"You haven't told her yet?"  
  
"No." Remus replied. "I need to soon. Can I ask a favor?"  
  
"Anything. You know that." Sirius answered sincerely.  
  
"If I can get a few minutes with Marlina tomorrow, will you keep Noah busy? I don't want him there when I tell her." Remus explained.  
  
"Of course." Sirius was uncharacteristically quiet. He knew just how much Remus was struggling with the whole problem, and he wished there were some way he could be the one to tell Marlina instead. He knew it was something that Remus had to do.  
  
"It'll be ok, Remus." He said. "Maybe not tomorrow, but it will be ok."  
  
Remus resolved to find Marlie in the morning and tell her. He hoped Sirius was right.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina was sitting in the staff room grading essays as well, while Noah had a lesson with Rachel Davies in their rooms. She was busy writing comments in the margin of a fifth year's paper when she heard the door open. She looked up to see McGonagall and Snape entering the room together. It was apparent that they had been discussing something unpleasant with each other and were both obviously annoyed, but quiet now that they had seen there was someone else in the staff room.  
  
"We'll finish this later?" Snape asked McGonagall, controlled irritation evident in his voice.  
  
"Later." McGonagall agreed stiffly. She turned to Marlina. "How are you, Professor?"  
  
"Fine, thanks. And you, Minerva?"  
  
"Fine." McGonagall shot a look at Snape and left the staff room. As the door was about to close a post owl shot through the opening and landed on the table in front of Marlina, scattering parchment everywhere. Now she was annoyed and she knelt on the floor to retrieve flyaway essays.  
  
"Damn owls." Snape said, and he picked up a few stray sheets that had come his way.  
  
Marlina sat back in her chair and finally took the letter that the owl offered her. It bore a DRCMC seal and she stopped when she saw it.  
  
Snape saw her hesitate when he recovered the last sheet of parchment near him and thought it curious that she looked nervous about opening the letter. Finally she took a deep breath and broke the seal.  
  
She startled him with the sharp intake of air as she gasped, and he couldn't resist a glance at the letter as he set down the recaptured papers he was holding. The letterhead was from the Werewolf Registry. Quickly he looked away. "That's all of them." He said.  
  
"What?" She turned a blank expression his way, and he could see she looked pale. Snape indicated the parchment he'd set on the table and quickly left the room. Marlina didn't seem to notice.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus encountered McGonagall in the hallway and greeted her pleasantly. "Afternoon, Minerva."  
  
"Good afternoon, Remus." She was pleased to be speaking with Lupin instead of Snape.  
  
"Have you by any chance seen Marlina?" Remus asked her.  
  
"I just left her in the staff room doing some grading." McGonagall said as she passed him.  
  
"Great. Thanks." Remus continued on toward the staff room.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He got a little further down the hall when he saw Snape coming his way, and he forced himself to be pleasant. "Afternoon, Severus."  
  
"Lupin, a word?" Snape asked.  
  
"In a minute? I've got to see Marlina about something." Remus turned as if he were going to continue down the hall, but stopped and looked surprised as he felt Snape's hand close on his arm.  
  
"It can't wait." Snape stared him in the eyes, and he felt ice grip his gut when he heard the other man's tone of voice.  
  
"Alright." Remus said. "What is it?"  
  
Snape looked over his shoulder at the still empty hall, and then turned back to Lupin. "Not here. Come with me." He let go of Lupin's arm and walked quickly down the corridor. Remus had to hurry to catch up with him, as he headed for the nearby medical wing.  
  
Remus felt an odd, but slight pang when the dark robed Slytherin spoke the counterspell that opened Lorien's door. She was treating patients in the infirmary, and Snape knew her rooms were close and would be private.  
  
Remus looked at Severus after the door was closed. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about, Severus?" He knew he sounded a little impatient, but he wanted to arrange to talk to Marlina before he lost his nerve.  
  
Snape wore an odd expression, and Remus swore that the man almost looked a bit concerned as he spoke.  
  
"It's my understanding that there is something between you and Marlina?" He asked simply.  
  
Remus frowned. Since when did Snape take an interest in anyone else's love life? Well, besides Lorien's. He answered cautiously. "Perhaps."  
  
Snape scowled. "Oh, please. Don't waste my time with that childish nonsense. Lorien does tell me quite a bit you know."  
  
Lupin shrugged.  
  
Snape's expression neutralized. "Have you told her?" Was all he asked.  
  
"Not yet." Remus answered, wondering what the hell Snape was getting at.  
  
"I see." Snape said somberly. "Lupin, she knows."  
  
"What?" Remus asked, and was suddenly angry. Snape couldn't have possibly had the nerve to tell her. "You told her?" He asked, obviously upset.  
  
"Lupin, what would I possibly gain by telling her?" Snape was irritated now.  
  
Remus just stared at him, waiting for a better explanation. After all, he'd done that sort of thing to him before.  
  
"For your information, I was in the staff room just now when she received an owl from the DRCMC. She appeared quite upset." Snape explained, and saw Lupin's look of anger slowly change to one of anguish. He continued. "Lupin, it was from the Werewolf Registry."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina still sat staring at the letter in front of her that Tenny Offut had owled her back as a favor. It contained a list from the registry.  
  
In her days as a member of the small but elite team of wizards trained to capture rogue werewolves, Marlina had always kept the list memorized. Now, it was almost seven years since she had use for it, but many of the names had stayed burned somewhere deep in her memory.  
  
Her eyes ran down the page. Abbot, C. R.,...Chaney, C. L.,....Fitzgerald, G.,....her eyes went reluctantly to the middle of the list. There sitting between Kessler, D. T., and McDermott, A. F., was his name. Lupin, R.J.  
  
Marlina was devastated and tears came to her eyes. How could she have been so stupid? Six years ago she would have been on to him the moment he looked like he was thinking about getting a headache near the full moon, and she had missed the obvious giveaway. She had been blinded by her feelings for the kind Defense professor.  
  
Now she was getting angry, and not only at Lupin. Lorien obviously knew, and if Lorien did, then so did Sirius. Who else knew? Everyone? Everyone but her?  
  
Her heart sank suddenly. Everyone but her... and Noah! Noah didn't know. Her son had been with one of THEM, alone at times. Marlin's insides churned at the thought of a werewolf hugging her son.  
  
It suddenly dawned on her that she had been alone with him. Merlin's wand! She had kissed a werewolf! Repeatedly. And she had enjoyed it! Marlina felt her stomach churn again and she barely made it to the staff bathroom before she was violently ill.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lupin stared back at the tall, black haired wizard, realizing what the letter from the WWR meant. Marlina knew, and he hadn't been able to tell her. He finally spoke to Snape. "Thank you, Severus." He said in a defeated manner.  
  
Snape nodded. "I'm not sure precisely how telling you that might help, but I though it would be best if you knew before she finds you."  
  
Remus had been watching Snape carefully, and was surprised to find no menace in his voice, no hint of amusement at his own plight. The man was trying to genuinely be helpful. He nodded silently in acknowledgment.  
  
Snape turned to leave but then hesitated at the door. He looked back at the werewolf, standing dazed in the middle of Lorien's room. "A word of advice, Lupin."  
  
Remus looked at Snape again.  
  
"Come clean when you're ready to talk to her. You have nothing to lose. Tell her the very worst, and if she can still deal with that..." Snape trailed off momentarily. "If she still wants to be with you after that, then anything else will be easy to overcome." He looked meaningfully at Remus and left.  
  
Remus got the distinct impression that Snape had experienced precisely what he had just been speaking of, and he wondered what the worst was that Lorien had heard from the former Death Eater. He shuddered to think about it, but it gave him a small degree of hope. If Lorien had stayed by Snape's side beyond the worst, perhaps Marlina could come to understand as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hermione was on her way to the library from the Gryffindor tower when she passed Remus in the hall. He seemed pre-occupied and said hello quietly only after she'd spoken to him a second time as she walked by.  
  
'That didn't look good.' She thought, and wondered what would make the usually cheerful Defense professor seem so sullen.  
  
She reached the adjoining hallway just as Keath and Kaneene Moody were coming off duty and speaking to two more Moodys, but wasn't paying much attention to the aurors as she thought about Remus. She hardly noticed when Kaneene went by her toward the tower, and a moment later, when Keath tried to. Hermione nearly walked into him.  
  
"Oh, excuse me." She said, somewhat embarrassed to be in the young auror's way. She stepped to the left as he stepped to his right.  
  
"Sorry." She apologized again. She stepped right as he stepped left, and once more found herself blocking his path.  
  
Now her face was red, she could tell, and the youngest Moody stood there with a slightly crooked but charming smile.  
  
"Here, allow me." He said with apparent amusement. He placed his hands on her arms and gently moved her to one side, and then let go and stepped by her. "There. Now I'm out of your way." He said jokingly.  
  
Hermione glanced up at Keath, who was still grinning, smiled at him quickly, and clutching the books she was carrying closer to her, headed quickly for the library before she died of embarrassment.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaneene was glad to be off duty at last that afternoon. It had been quiet around Hogwarts and also around Hogsmeade, but all of the aurors new better than to let down their guard, and it was taking its toll on all of them to be constantly vigilant.  
  
She went to meet Sirius as all of them often did after a shift, to let him know if there was any news. The only thing she had to report involved the murder of another Nemorosi witch outside of London.  
  
"Come in." Sirius looked up at the door as he spoke and smiled to himself as he saw the auror step into his rooms and shut the door. He was sitting at the desk and leaned back in the chair with his hands laced behind his head and kicked his feet up on top. "Well, good afternoon, Miss Moody." He said cheerfully.  
  
"Afternoon." She smiled a little and went to perch on the edge of the desk in front of him.  
  
"Any news?" He asked.  
  
"Do you want it if it's not good?" She asked in return.  
  
He frowned. "Not particularly, but let me have it."  
  
"They killed another witch in London last night. Brandon got an owl this morning." She said.  
  
"Damn." Sirius was glad that Lorien was at Hogwarts. "Nothing brewing in Hogsmeade?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You busy right now?" He asked with a smile crossing his face again.  
  
"No. Why?" She asked.  
  
"I need help with a project." He replied.  
  
She looked eager to help. "You need some help with a security issue?"  
  
"Nah. I need help planning a party." He said.  
  
"You want me to help with a what?" She asked, not expecting his answer.  
  
"Party. You know fun, food, music, dancing....."  
  
"I know what a party is, Black." She snipped back at him. "I wasn't aware that you were planning one."  
  
He explained the reason for the party to her. "The only way I could get McGonagall to agree was to promise to take care of the whole thing myself."  
  
"And you've never planned a party before?" She asked with a sarcastic smile.  
  
He winked at her. "Plenty, but this one has to be.....um...appropriate for the students." He laughed a little at the thought of some of the other parties he'd planned in his younger days.  
  
"I'm not really sure that I'll be any help." She admitted.  
  
"I just need an idea for a theme, then I think I can take it from there." He said.  
  
"Theme?" She thought about it for a minute. "You mean like costume party, beach party, pajama party...that sort of thing?"  
  
"Yes. Did you say pajama party?" He asked, looking curious.  
  
"Yeah. Everyone goes in their pajamas and slippers." She explained, and then she started to smile at the thought.  
  
"Really? You've been to one of those?" He asked, not ever remembering having been invited to a pajama party.  
  
Kaneene nodded. "It's pretty funny."  
  
Sirius looked at her intently as she sat on his desk. "So, you wear whatever you normally wear to bed?"  
  
"Yes." Kaneene saw the amused look on his face and knew he wasn't going to let this go.  
  
"Well, then what would you be wearing if we have a pajama party, Miss Moody?" He asked, flirting with her again.  
  
Kaneene wasn't going to let this get by either. She got up and stood a little closer to when he was still leaning back in the chair and leaned over him a little. "You really want to know?" She asked in a low, husky voice that made his eyes snap to meet hers.  
  
He nodded, and pulled his arms out from behind his head to grip the arms of the chair as she leaned even closer.  
  
Her face was near his and she whispered in his ear in a seductive voice. "Footie pajamas."  
  
It took a minute for what she said to register and Kaneene was already laughing at Sirius when it did. "What?"  
  
"You know, one piece, fuzzy, from here to your feet." She was holding one hand high up under her chin. She laughed again, knowing she was not painting the picture that Sirius had thought she was going to.  
  
He shook his head and laughed at himself as well. "I think we'll let the pajama party idea go." He said. "Besides, we'd have to look at the staff in their night attire, and Merlin knows that's a scary thought for a lot of them."  
  
Kaneene wrinkled her nose and agreed heartily.  
  
"So, do you have any other bright ideas?" Sirius asked her as she sat back on his desk.  
  
She thought about it for a minute. "Greek mythology?"  
  
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm. That's one to consider."  
  
"Under the sea party?" Kaneene offered again.  
  
"Good. What else?" Sirius asked, encouraging her continue with her ideas.  
  
"What about a muggle party?" She asked.  
  
Sirius looked at her questioningly.  
  
"You know, muggle food and music. Everyone wears muggle clothes and leaves their wands in the dorms."  
  
Sirius brightened at the idea. "They could wear those awful muggle T- shirts with sayings and we could order lots of pizza!" He jumped out of his chair. "That's it! We're going to have a muggle theme party." He announced. "Excellent idea, K." He said, patting her on the arm. "And as an extra added bonus it should just about send all the Slytherins around the bend." He smiled mischievously.  
  
She shook her head at him and laughed as she got off the desk. "Glad I could help." She said as she headed for the door. She paused for a moment. "Sirius?"  
  
"What?" He asked, a little preoccupied with the ideas he was toying with now.  
  
"I think it's a better choice than the pajama party." She said.  
  
"Me too..wait, why?" He asked.  
  
She smiled coyly at him. "They'd never let me go to the pajama party with what I normally wear..or should I say, 'don't wear' to bed." She stepped out of the room and closed the door.  
  
Sirius stood there with his mouth open. The green-eyed auror had caught him off guard again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: About the list from the WWR - David Kessler is the werewolf in An American Werewolf in London, Andy McDermott is the wolf in AAW in Paris, Ginger Fitzgerald is cursed in Ginger Snaps, and Creighton Chaney is otherwise known as Lon Chaney Jr. ;)  
  
All I can say about next chapter is that things get downright ugly. 


	22. Revenge

I have to tell you all about the owl.  
  
I see exotic pets as well as dogs and cats, and I also do a fair amount of wildlife rehab. My favorites are the raptors that come in, and recently one of the game wardens brought me a barred owl.  
  
The poor guy had flown in front of a car, suffered a minor head injury, and had been laying on the side of the road for a while. We rehydrated him and gave him cortisone for the head trauma, and he started eating the next day.  
  
The interesting thing is that birds are difficult to age, but there was no question that this particular bird was OLD. Very old.  
  
Now, my surgical technician has a surly disposition that can rival that of Severus on a bad day, but she has two redeeming traits. One, she is amazing at what she does, and two, she loves Harry Potter.  
  
After hearing that the owl was ancient and had strayed off course into the path of an oncoming car, she promptly went and labeled his cage so that when I came in to check on him in the morning, he had been dubbed 'Errol'.  
  
You'll be glad to know that Errol made a full recovery, and was released a couple of days later. Hopefully we won't be seeing him again anytime soon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Revenge ~*~  
  
  
  
Remus watched the last students of the day leave the classroom Monday afternoon and gathered up a few books to place back on the bookshelf. He heard the door to the classroom click shut behind him and he turned.  
  
Marlina stood there with her back against the door, but her expression was unreadable.  
  
"Hello, Marlina." He said quietly.  
  
She said nothing but continued to look at him steadily.  
  
"I know that you know." He said softly, not meeting her eyes.  
  
"Do you now?" She asked in an icy voice.  
  
"Yes. I know about the letter from the registry." He replied.  
  
'Snape.' She thought suddenly. 'Odd that Snape would say something to Lupin.' She walked slowly closer to him as he watched her apprehensively, and she stared him down. Finally she spoke. "I trusted you." She hissed quietly.  
  
"Marlina....." Remus began.  
  
She cut him off. "I trusted you from the moment I met you. I trusted you with my friendship. I trusted you with my SON!" She yelled the last word and Remus jumped a little.  
  
"Marlina, I tried to tell you." Remus said.  
  
"Huh!" She snorted at him.  
  
"Honestly, Marlie. I really.."  
  
"Don't you ever call me that again, Lupin." She snarled. "As a matter of fact, I don't want you to even speak to me unless it's absolutely unavoidable."  
  
"Marlina, please. Listen to me for a minute. I know I should have told you right away. I'm sorry. I truly, truly am. But I wanted you to see me for who I am the other twenty-seven days. If you knew when we met you never..."  
  
She didn't let him finish. "You deceived me! Me and Noah. How am I going to tell Noah?" She was getting visibly upset now. "How do I tell him that you're one of THEM? The same as the monster that killed his father?!" She cried.  
  
Remus looked at her, obviously wounded by her words. "I am not a monster." He said, quiet anger slipping into his own voice.  
  
"Tell that to Noah." She spat.  
  
Remus looked at her steadily. "I'll tell him if it'll help."  
  
"NO!" Marlina shouted and then she advanced on him quickly, ranting at him as he backed away. "Don't you dare talk to my son! Don't you go near him, Lupin, or I swear it'll be the last thing you do!"  
  
Remus was fighting to stay calm. It wasn't going to help if he lost it right now. "Marlina, I would never hurt Noah, you know that."  
  
"That's right." She said icily. "Because you'll never get close enough to him ever again."  
  
"You're upset because of your husband." Remus tried to reason with her.  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "I suppose you know about that because that bitch, Lorien, came running to you and told you after we talked."  
  
"She's not a bitch, Marlina, and she didn't tell me for a long time. I think that you're overreacting to....."  
  
"Overreacting? You want to see overreacting? Try setting foot in the same room as Noah." Her voice dropped dangerously. "I'm sure you know what a rogue werewolf is, Lupin, and how I DEAL with them." She took one step closer and pushed him a little. "Just try it once and see if I'm kidding." She spun and walked out quickly, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Remus sank dejectedly into the nearest chair with a sigh. Things hadn't gone well at all. Not only did Marlina apparently hate him now, but she'd just threatened his life.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus dreaded seeing Marlina all that week, which was unavoidable as their classrooms were in the same hall. He prepared himself for the glares and angry looks that she'd probably give him, but he was never expecting her to do nothing. Nothing at all. She acted like he didn't even exist whenever she walked by him, and Remus found it was far worse than any threat she could have made.  
  
  
  
He had already canceled his last classes on Thursday, and when he headed for his room for the final time before the full moon that night, he ran into Sirius outside his door.  
  
"I'll be over straight away, Moony." Sirius assured him. "I just have one thing I have to do."  
  
Remus shook his head. "Not tonight."  
  
"What?" Sirius turned to look at Remus.  
  
"I want to be alone, tonight." He said quietly.  
  
"Remus, you're being ridiculous." Sirius said abruptly. "There's no need to punish yourself."  
  
Remus shrugged dejectedly. "Really, Padfoot. I'd rather not have company."  
  
"I don't care. I'm going to be there whether you like it or not." Sirius was speaking sternly now.  
  
"Sirius....." Remus began angrily.  
  
"Go ahead, Moony. Get pissed off. Just see if you think you can keep me out." Sirius said, his dark blue eyes flashing. "I don't even want to hear it!"  
  
Remus glared angrily at Sirius. "I'm not getting a choice about this either, am I?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Fine." He stalked across the hall, threw his door open and walked in, not even bothering to shut it.  
  
Sirius left what he was going to do for later and followed Remus.  
  
Remus was staring out at the last rays of the setting sun with his hands braced on either side of the window, and Sirius shut the door and put the locking charm in place. He turned and stood silently behind his distraught friend for a long while, just waiting quietly.  
  
"Moony." He finally said softly. "I know you've had a rough go of it lately. I know it's been even tougher than usual, but don't shut me out."  
  
Remus almost turned at the words Sirius had just spoken, but he continued to stare out the window. "Mars is bright tonight." He said quietly. "You can see it already."  
  
"Remus, I know I can't make everything alright for you, but let me help where I can." Sirius felt his throat tighten a little and he cleared his throat before speaking again. "Damnit, don't turn away from me, Remus. There were so many times in the past that I wanted to be here for you, but I couldn't. Now I have the opportunity and you won't let me." Sirius continued to speak to Lupin's back, his voice a choked whisper. "Remus, we lost so many years.." Sirius broke off.  
  
Remus realized as he listened that Sirius needed to be here with him for both of them. He needed to feel that he could in some way make up for all the time he had been unable to help one of his best friends, any of his best friends, and Remus knew he needed to let Sirius help.  
  
Remus turned to face Sirius and heard his own voice quaver. "I know, Padfoot. We won't lose any more." He gave his friend a brave smile and then walked across to embrace him like a bother. Sirius returned the hug.  
  
When they broke apart after a minute, Sirius couldn't resist trying to lighten the mood. "Damn, Moony! If anyone ever sees us hugging like a couple of misty-eyed school girls, they're going to begin to wonder about us."  
  
Remus smiled at his best friend. "You know, Padfoot, if I have any more trouble with the witches in my life, I think you might start to look like a viable alternative." He laughed out loud when he saw Sirius screw up his face at the thought.  
  
Sirius sobered after a minute and spoke quietly. "It'll be alright, Remus."  
  
Remus nodded and spoke. "Sirius, it's time."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Arial Sinistra walked along the corridors of Hogwarts, casually humming to herself. Tonight was the night she'd been looking forward to for along time. Tonight was the full moon. Tonight Mars was bright in the heavens and she would see justice done. Tonight she would make Lupin pay.  
  
She knew exactly where his rooms were, and it didn't take her long to make her way there.  
  
Sinistra stood outside the locked door for a long moment, and then she knew exactly how this needed to be done.  
  
She drew her wand, willing the strength of the brilliant Mars to aid her in unlocking the door. She invoked Mars Ultor (The avenger) and spoke quietly. "Mars vigila!" (Mars awaken.)  
  
There was a soft click as the sealing charm was banished and the door unlocked, and Ariel smiled with grim satisfaction as she swung the door ever so slowly open. She stood in the wide open portal, staring at the wolf sleeping soundly next to the large dog by the fire. It was the dog's ears that flicked a little at the noise, and Sinistra knew it was now or never as she reached into her robes for the silver orb.  
  
She whispered the charm to light the fuse and rolled it into the room and stepped to the side of the doorway. The silver ball came to rest a foot or two from the sleeping canines, and Sinistra cast the invisibility charm about herself as she waited the last three seconds.  
  
Sirius was just becoming aware of the slightest sound in the room when it happened. The explosion went off two feet from the dog and the werewolf and both animals were on their feet yelping in panic, ripped from sleep by the sound. Explosions continued, one after another, after another and the adrenaline kicked in so fast that for a moment the dog and the wolf parts took over, and both canines bolted in fear before the human parts could figure out what had happened. Sirius bolted straight for the bedroom and Remus, with sparks singing his tail, bolted straight out the open door and down the hallway.  
  
Sinistra watched as the panic-stricken burned werewolf disappeared around the corner and estimated how long it would be before he made it to the bottom of the stairs. She smiled to herself and counted... "three.....two.....one!" A scream reached her ears, joined quickly by another and Sinistra grinned from ear to ear as she started back the way she came. Apparently the werewolf had been spotted.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus normally kept most of his human faculties about him as long as he drank the wolfsbane potion the week before the full moon, but when the explosion went off and he felt his tail burning, the adrenaline surge overrode all of that, and the primitive mind of the wolf took back over. And the mind of the wolf said 'run.'  
  
He bolted down the stairs, trying to escape from the pain that was searing his tail and ran almost headlong into a pair of Gryffindor fourth year girls, who took only a second or two to register exactly what they were seeing and panic. Both of them screamed, and as more chaos reigned in the wolf's mind, Remus changed direction abruptly and ran down another hall. It ended at the door leading to the outside, and the frantic animal would have been trapped, but the tiniest bit of human consciousness told the wolf that the window was the way, and the large gray canine leapt for the opening. Glass shattered everywhere as the wolf escaped the castle.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius had regained his senses quickly and ran into the hall. No sign of Lupin. He had heard the screams and ran down the stairs, only to come face to face with a tearful blonde fourth year, and Ginny Weasley. The black dog disappeared and Sirius stood before them.  
  
"He's out!" She said frantically. "He's out!" Ginny pointed down the hall, and Sirius looked at the broken window. This was going to be bad.  
  
Sirius thought quickly. "Ginny, go tell the headmaster what happened as fast as you can!"  
  
The frightened girl nodded and dragged her companion off down the hallway.  
  
Sirius was tempted to get more help, but he wanted to catch up to the panicked werewolf as soon as possible, and he transformed once again and ran after Remus. He didn't bother with the door and simply leaped through the fractured window.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione were on their way back to the Gryffindor common room when they say Ginny plowing up the hallway, looking terrified.  
  
"Hey, Gin. What on earth are you doing?" Ron asked his wide-eyed sister.  
  
"Ron!" She panted. "It's awful...Professor Lupin...he's out."  
  
"Out?" All three asked at once.  
  
"Out! Outside. Sirius went after him. He sent me to go to Dumbledore." Ginny explained it all quickly.  
  
"How'd he get out, Gin?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know." She said, shaking her head.  
  
"Come on Ginny, I'll go with you to get Dumbledore." Harry said quickly. "Ron, you go see if you can find McGonagall. Hermione, you see if you can get Lorien." Harry figured that these would be the people most able to deal with the rampant werewolf.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ron continued on quickly to Gryffindor tower, not relishing the thought of disturbing his head of house, but knowing he had to in this case. He pounded on McGonagall's door and waited anxiously for an answer.  
  
The door swung open. "Mr. Weasley. I trust that you have a good.." McGonagall saw the look on Ron's face. "What is it?" She asked.  
  
"Professor Lupin is outside the castle!" He gasped as McGonagall's eyes went wide. "Harry's gone to tell the headmaster. Hermione has gone to get Mistress Lorien."  
  
"Where's Sirius? Has anyone told him?" McGonagall asked quickly, grabbing her wand and a cloak.  
  
"Yes. He's already gone out after him." Ron answered.  
  
"Good. Ron, go back to the common room and don't let anyone else leave it again. I'm going to have the head boy and head girl get everyone else to their dorms and have them stay there until we find the Professor."  
  
Ron nodded and ran for the tower as McGonagall quickly headed in the opposite direction.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry and Ginny came skidding to a halt outside the stone gargoyle, and it suddenly occurred to Harry that they didn't know the current password. They rattled off the names of as many sweets as they could think of, but none worked.  
  
"Now what?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I'm not sure." Said Harry. "There's got to be..." He stopped as he saw the headmaster coming down the hallway speaking cordially with Madame Pomfrey.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore!" They yelled together.  
  
The headmaster looked down the hallway and a small frown furrowed his brow. It was never a good thing when Harry came looking for him at odd times. "What is it, Harry?" He asked, a trace of concern slipping into his voice.  
  
"It's Professor Lupin. He's gotten out of the castle." Harry replied.  
  
"What?" Dumbledore asked, obviously concerned now.  
  
Harry looked at Ginny and she quickly told the headmaster what she had seen a few minutes before.  
  
Harry told him how Ron had gone to tell McGonagall, and Hermione had gone to find Lorien.  
  
"Very good thinking, Harry." Dumbledore replied. "Now if you and Miss Weasley would kindly return to your common room, I think that it would be the safest place for you both." He turned and said something to Pomfrey, who nodded and walked quickly away.  
  
Harry and Ginny ran for the tower as Dumbledore went to his office.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hermione ran for the dungeon, frowning as she went. She knew well enough that by this time of the evening that Lorien would probably not be in her own rooms, and she couldn't believe she was going to have to do this.  
  
"Why did Harry tell ME to get Lorien?" She muttered to herself, knowing that she was going to have to find the Potions master's rooms. She knew she was a better choice than Harry or Ron, and she knew Harry did as well when he split them up.  
  
Hermione groaned inwardly and hoped she didn't run into too many Slytherins along the way.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien smiled at Severus as they sat together. "I believe you are mistaken." She said.  
  
He shook his head. "They're the same, Lorien." He grumbled.  
  
"You just can't admit that I'm right." She said, teasing him.  
  
He wasn't giving in. "That's because you are wrong, my dear. They are the same." He said firmly.  
  
Lorien rose from her chair and went to join him in his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "You know that I'm right. Just admit it. Wolfsbane and monkshood are not the same plant." She kissed him.  
  
"That will get you nowhere. I am not changing my position on this." He said adamantly, but she could see he was beginning to smile.  
  
She pressed the issue sweetly. "Severus, you use European wolfsbane, correct?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And what color are the flowers?" She asked, innocently.  
  
"Yellow." He answered.  
  
"And monkshood? What color are the flowers of monkshood, Severus?" She asked softly.  
  
"Blue Lorien, but..."  
  
She cut him off. "So that would make them different." She pronounced.  
  
"A technicality." He said irritably, with a dismissive waive of his hand. "The chemical and magical properties are close enough..."  
  
"Admit I'm right." She said, kissing him again firmly.  
  
"I'll admit nothing." He said quietly, now losing interest in the discussion. He pulled her against him and was about to kiss her again when the knock came at the door.  
  
He frowned, not happy about being interrupted.  
  
"That's odd." Lorien said, discreetly getting up.  
  
"This had better be good." He said, irritably. "Enter!" He called to the door.  
  
The door opened slowly, and Hermione timidly peeked her head in the Potions master's rooms.  
  
Snape frowned. "Are you going to stand there playing hide and seek, Miss Granger, or are you coming in?"  
  
Hermione stepped quickly into the room and shut the door. She saw that Snape was seated by the fireplace and Lorien was sitting opposite him.  
  
"I assume that you must have some very pressing issue to bring to my attention if you had to summon enough of that Gryffindor courage to disturb me in my chambers." Snape growled.  
  
"I came to find Mistress Lorien." Hermione said, resolutely hiding her nerves.  
  
"What is it, Hermione?" Lorien asked in a very concerned way. She knew that this must be important.  
  
"It's Remus." She answered.  
  
Snape looked less than pleased, and Lorien looked alarmed.  
  
Hermione's gaze met hers. "He's out."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Now, just in case you are wondering if Snape or Lorien is correct about the monkshood/wolfsbane thing - it depends on which source you go to.  
  
Aconitum napellus, or monkshood is also known in many sources as wolfsbane. It is usually purple (there is a white variation). I grow this in my garden (or did, until Severus got hold of it.)  
  
Aconitum lycoctonum is the same family, is different than monkshood, and also is considered wolfsbane. The flowers, from what I could find are yellow and it is a European plant.  
  
I'm an avid gardener, and in all the gardening and perennial books I have, I had never heard monkshood being referred to as wolfsbane, so I got on line.  
  
After reading through about 30 botanical and gardening web sites, I find that none of them seem to agree on exactly what is wolfsbane.  
  
I can't give you a definitive answer, but decided to have a little fun with it. Lorien and Severus obviously each have an opinion. Perhaps we ought to ask Forsythia Sprout? 


	23. The Werewolf Capture Unit

Indus, Sar-spasm, and Starlight. Thanks for the reviews, and welcome!  
  
Clover - welcome back! *waves*  
  
No1 - who says the madness ends?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
All I can say is that it would have been much worse if it hadn't been so late at night.  
  
Most of you probably know that one of the things that Maine is famous for is the L. L. Bean store in Freeport that is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I can't even begin to tell you how busy that place is this time of year, but I can tell you just how many wizards had to be called in from the Augusta branch of the Bureau of Magical Affairs to handle the mass memory charms in the crowd there because of Severus. About two dozen.  
  
It started when Remus, Sirius, and Severus decided that the store was one of the landmarks they wanted to see while they were spending time in Maine. I figured that the cute little village of Freeport would be nice to see in all its holiday splendor, so I took them with me to do a little more Christmas shopping late one evening.  
  
We split up once we got into Bean's, and the three of them promised to do their best to blend in and stay inconspicuous. (It's odd to see them in jeans and flannel shirts.)  
  
All I wanted to do was to pick up a few little stocking stuffers, but unfortunately the first person I encountered in the store was my ex- boyfriend. My just-doesn't-get-that-it's-been-over-for-quite-some-time ex- boyfriend. And let's just say there's a healthy list of reasons why he's an ex, including the fact that he still gets very jealous and remains a bit possessive.  
  
I tried nicely to get rid of him without making a scene, but he just doesn't quit, and it soon became apparent to people nearby that he was obviously harassing me. Apparently it was also obvious to Severus.  
  
He might not have intervened if my ex had just let it drop and left, but he didn't, and when he grabbed my arm when I tried to walk away, some long-buried sense of chivalry must have awakened in my Slytherin friend, and of course he reacted reflexively. He hexed my ex into next week.  
  
Now, as satisfying as it would have been to stand there and watch my ex braying frantically in the form of a cute little donkey in the middle of the camping section, (apparently 'ass' was the first thing that came to Snape's mind when he saw the man, as well as mine) I was now surrounded by screaming shoppers that just weren't handling the fact that there was a wizard and a donkey standing next to the tents.  
  
Let me tell you, those boys from the Augusta bureau were some unhappy campers, but do they ever work fast. I suspect there were a few muggles that managed to get out of the store without being obliviated, but as a general rule, Mainers keep to themselves so it shouldn't be a big deal.  
  
Besides, who in their right mind would say they saw a wizard turn someone into a donkey at L.L. Bean at Christmas anyway? ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Werewolf Capture Unit ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien jumped to her feet and Snape's head snapped up. "What?" He gasped. "The werewolf is OUT?"  
  
Hermione nodded and quickly told them what she knew.  
  
Lorien and Snape both headed for the door. "Come with us." Lorien said, wanting to make sure Hermione made it as far as Gryffindor tower with an escort, since no one knew exactly where the wolf was at this point.  
  
Hermione headed for the common room as Lorien and Severus met up with Dumbledore and McGonagall at the entrance.  
  
"We'll go in pairs." Dumbledore instructed. "Minerva and I will head toward the whomping willow and the lake. Severus, you and Lorien head toward the forest."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
"I know that Remus has had the wolfsbane potion and should be relatively harmless, but no one has ever really put this to a true test, so please be very careful." Said Dumbledore as the four of them split up.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ariel was pleased with the chaos she had created, and she cast off the invisibility charm as she walked down the hall. This would certainly give them all a good scare, and with any luck, they might question the wisdom of having a werewolf remain as a teacher here at the school. She looked up as she walked, and saw fourth year student Jane Hillyer emerging from a room just ahead. It was Marlina Perkins that she now heard talking to the student in the hall.  
  
Sinistra smiled again. Just when she thought things couldn't get any better!  
  
Ariel put on her best 'very concerned' face and walked quickly up to the other Slytherin witch. "Professor Perkins. Thank goodness I found you!"  
  
Marlina looked up at her. "What's wrong, Ariel?"  
  
Sinistra looked at the student and motioned for her to step back inside. "A moment if you please." She said, and then she spoke urgently to Marlina.  
  
"It's just terrible, Marlina. I'm afraid for the safety of the students." Ariel professed.  
  
"Why? What on earth has happened?" Marlina asked, obviously puzzled.  
  
"It's.....it's the werewolf." Arial whispered dramatically. "He got out."  
  
Marlina felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach.  
  
Arial continued on. "Dumbledore and several of the staff have gone after him, but I'm worried about them. They could be in grave danger with the wolf running rampant like that." She was winding Perkins up and she knew it.  
  
Marlina reacted quickly. "I'll deal with this." She ducked back inside her rooms.  
  
Sinistra smiled. "I rather thought you would." She said quietly, and she walked away humming to herself again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina grabbed her cloak and ran to the entrance to the school. She had instructed Jane to stay with Noah and had immediately retrieved the crossbow from her trunk. Now, she ran into the dark and lit her wand as she went. She knew the wolf would head for the forest and she set off in that direction.  
  
There was no sign of anyone when she reached the edge of the woods, and Marlina heard nothing, but she searched the ground as she went and finally found what she was looking for. Footprints. Two distinct sets of canine footprints went off slightly to her left, and Marlina set out to track the wolf.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Severus and Lorien went out into the forest, searching for signs of the dog or the wolf.  
  
"How the hell did that bloody wolf get out?" He asked, eyes casting about the edges of the wandlit perimeter. He did not relish the thought of coming face to face with the werewolf in the woods, wolfsbane potion or not. One close encounter with the beast in his life was definitely more than enough.  
  
Lorien shrugged. "I wish I knew." She said. "I hope he's alright."  
  
"And I hope that damn potion does what it's supposed to if we find him." Snape grumbled.  
  
"I wonder if he'd respond if we called him?" Lorien suddenly wondered out loud. "He'd be likely to understand us in his present condition."  
  
"Maybe." Snape ventured, mentally voting for not calling the wolf.  
  
She decided to try it. "Remus?" She called into the woods. Nothing. She waited a minute as she strained to hear any sound in the woods around them. "Remus? It's Lorien." She called again. "Remus it's ok. You can come out." Nothing. She turned to face Severus. "We'll have to keep looking. He's probably...."  
  
She stopped as she saw the look Severus was wearing. He was staring, unblinking and unmoving at a spot on the path somewhere behind her. "Lorien." He said in a low whisper. "Behind you."  
  
Lorien turned very slowly and now could see that about twenty feet behind her, just outside the light cast by Snape's wand, was a set of eyes that reflected eerie green in the dark. She looked back at the glowing eyes for a long moment and then risked calling to him. "Remus?" She called hesitantly.  
  
The green glow disappeared as the large animal stepped just inside the circle of light, and Lorien found herself looking into the amber eyes of the wolf for the very first time. She swallowed hard and tried to speak comfortingly. "Remus, it's ok."  
  
The wolf's ears pricked forward when she spoke, and then he sat down on his haunches.  
  
Lorien spoke to him again. "Remus, it's alright. Really. You need to come back to the castle."  
  
The wolf dropped his ears a little and whined plaintively. He clearly was torn as to what to do.  
  
Lorien started to take a step forward, but Snape's hand on her shoulder suddenly stopped her. "Lorien, don't." He hissed the warning quietly, never taking his eyes, or his wand off the wolf in front of them. The wolf snarled and flattened its ears back as it watched him grab her arm, and Snape ever so slowly released his hold on Lorien. The wolf stopped growling when he saw Snape let go.  
  
"Should we try to talk him into coming back?" Lorien whispered to Snape behind her. "We should be able to reason with him because of the potion, right?" She asked.  
  
Snape kept his eyes on the wolf. "Don't move, but say something to him." He directed her, trying to gauge how lucid the wolf was.  
  
"Remus," Lorien began softly. "You know we aren't here to hurt you, don't you?"  
  
The wolf yawned nervously as it watched her steadily.  
  
"Remus?" Lorien called again. "Come on." She said softly, beckoning to him.  
  
The wolf growled low in it's throat, but then took a quick step toward Lorien and she clutched at Snape. Although he didn't appear to be threatening her, Snape could tell that Lupin wasn't quite in his right mind. He didn't like the way things looked at all, and despite his misgivings about being anywhere near the werewolf again, stepped in front of Lorien to keep himself between her and the now growling animal that was regarding him with flattened ears.  
  
Lorien tried to tell herself that Remus wouldn't hurt her. She tried to quell the nervousness she felt about having the wolf come closer, after all, she'd been only inches from the wolf in the past. But of course, it was inches away behind a door of solid English oak, and there was no door here now. She put her hand on Snape's arm, not knowing what it took for him to put himself in the line of fire after the previous trauma he'd experience with a werewolf encounter in the past.  
  
"Let me try once more." She said unsteadily. "You're irritating him."  
  
Snape would have shot her a look that said 'serves him right' if he hadn't been so intent on keeping his eyes on the beast. "Once." he agreed reluctantly, and he felt Lorien come to stand alongside him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina was nearly lightheaded with the effects of the adrenaline flowing through her veins as she closed in on the wolf. It was a feeling almost forgotten and no longer welcome because it brought with it so many memories. Too many terrible memories. She tried to subdue the feelings of dread she always had on the hunt, and to focus on the task at hand.  
  
She had come to a spot where she could see the tracks indicated that the wolf had slowed to a walk. He probably was not far away. She listened for a minute for the faintest sound, the faintest breath and heard nothing, so she decided to go a little further. The quiet around her was suddenly interrupted by a voice not very far off.  
  
It was Lorien calling for Remus. 'That idiot.' Marlina thought. 'She'll be a sitting duck as soon as he zeroes in on where she is.' Marlina decided that the best thing to do was zero in on where Lorien was first and then wait for the wolf. She made her way to where she heard the woman calling again, and slipping quietly through the trees, came to a spot where she had a partial view of the path. Lorien and Severus were standing together, and had obviously seen something.  
  
Marlina dropped to one knee and kept one eye on the witch as she loaded the crossbow. She was reaching for a dart when she saw the wolf step into the light not far from Lorien, and another flood of nightmare memories hit her as she looked upon the creature. It took a step toward the two people, and almost instinctively her hand grabbed for black feathers. Lorien might not realize it, but she was in grave danger, and Marlina planned on doing something about it. She was not going to let one of THEM claim another victim.  
  
She sighted the crossbow at a point just in front of the wolf where she would have a clear shot, and she waited patiently for him to take just one more step forward.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien stood alongside Severus for a moment, trying to wait for the wolf to calm down, and to steady her own nerves. It was difficult to believe that the large gray wolf in front of her was actually Remus, but she tried to keep focused on that thought as she spoke again to Snape. "I'm going to call him again." She whispered.  
  
"If you insist." Snape replied. "What if it doesn't work?" He asked her without looking at her.  
  
Lorien frowned. "I guess you'll have to stun him into next week." She said reluctantly, and Snape found himself rather hoping the wolf wouldn't respond.  
  
Lorien held onto Snape still for reassurance, and spoke once more to the wolf. "Remus, it's time to get you back to the castle, don't you think?" Snape winced a little as her nails dug into his flesh where she had a death grip on his arm.  
  
The wolf tipped its head as it appeared to be considering what she'd said, and after a moment heaved a snort with its decision, and then calmly stepped toward the woman that he knew.  
  
Suddenly there was a loud growl and a crash in the bushes to the left and a faint 'thwack' sounded from just beyond on the right. The wolf jumped suddenly and laid his ears back again with a terrible snarl, and whirled and ran back the way he came as a commotion broke out where the first growl came from.  
  
"Remus!" Lorien called out, unheeded by the rapidly retreating werewolf.  
  
Angry voices now sounded through the trees just to her left.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you?" It was Sirius, yelling at somebody. Lorien and Severus ran to where the voices were coming from.  
  
"You made me miss! Don't you know that lives are in danger?" Marlina was yelling back at Sirius.  
  
When Lorien and Severus got to the spot, Sirius had grabbed Marlina by her shoulders, and was still yelling at her. "You could have killed him!" Sirius gave her a small shake for emphasis.  
  
Lorien ran to them and placed a hand on Sirius's arm. "Sirius, let go." She tried to say it calmly, but heard her own voice waiver. She didn't think she wanted to know why Marlina was out here in the forest with a crossbow.  
  
Sirius brushed her off, a little rougher than he meant to and Lorien stumbled a step backwards. He shook Marlina again. "You murderous Slytherin bitch. He wasn't hurting anyone!"  
  
Snape watched Sirius shake Marlina and then push Lorien, and decided that he'd seen enough. He quickly stepped behind the animagus and placed a hand firmly on his shoulder, speaking in a low dangerous voice. "That's quite enough, Black. Let go."  
  
Sirius was already upset, and when Snape's had closed on his shoulder he saw red, and immediately released Marlina. He spun quickly and his fist connected squarely with Snape's jaw, sending him staggering back a pace himself. "Don't ever touch me, Snape!" He snarled viciously.  
  
Snape was pressing the back of his hand against his mouth and when he pulled it away and looked at it, he saw blood. He glared furiously at Black. "You son of a bitch." He stepped forward quickly and raised his wand. Black drew his own and the two black haired wizards squared off.  
  
"You arrogant bastard." Snape growled. "You're going to pay for that, Black!"  
  
"Just try it." Black sneered at Snape. "Go on, I dare you to."  
  
Lorien knew that this was a potentially lethal situation and ran between the two men, hands outstretched to keep them apart. "Stop it!" She cried. "Stop it, both of you."  
  
Sirius spoke to her but never took his eyes of Snape. "Sorry sweetheart, no can do."  
  
"Lorien, get out of the way." Snape said firmly, taking a step forward.  
  
Lorien stepped in front of him. "Severus, no!"  
  
Black sneered at Snape again, egging him on. "Need to have a little witch protect you, Snape? Can't handle your battles by yourself?"  
  
Snape was livid, and Lorien grabbed his arm as she saw the look in his eyes. "Severus!" She cried again. Snape shook her off with a snarl and faced Black again.  
  
Suddenly everyone looked up at the new voice that interrupted the confrontation.  
  
"What on earth are you people doing?" Keath Moody asked. Kaneene and Keath were on duty and had been drawn by the noise.  
  
Lorien spoke first to the aurors. "Kaneene, would you help me talk sense into these two idiots? They're trying to kill each other."  
  
Kaneene could see by the way the two wizards were watching each other with drawn wands that Lorien was probably not exaggerating.  
  
She came closer and folded her arms. "You boys care to tell me what's going on?" She asked, looking from one to the other.  
  
Sirius spoke first. "Snape drew first. He started it."  
  
Snape narrowed his eyes. "I started it?" He asked incredulously. "What about this?" He pointed to the blood on his lip.  
  
"Yeah, well that was for being an ugly git." Sirius taunted.  
  
Snape lunged for Black who lunged back.  
  
Disaster was only narrowly averted by Lorien and Marlina flinging themselves on Severus to hold him back as Keath and Kaneene grabbed hold of Sirius and tried to drag him away. The two wizards were only able to hurl obscenities at each other instead of hexes, and chaos reigned as six people were all shouting at once.  
  
"ENOUGH!!!"  
  
Dumbledore's voice cut through the bedlam and the tumble of six people fell silent and looked up at the headmaster, standing there with McGonagall. Dumbledore looked from one person to the next and then spoke quietly in a deadly serious manner. "Have you all quite finished?" He asked.  
  
Evidently everyone had. No one said a word.  
  
Dumbledore watched them all with quiet anger for a minute longer and then he let it pass.  
  
"Now." He said, in a somewhat lighter tone. "Since Remus has obviously retreated far into the woods for the evening, I suggest that we all go back to the castle. Minerva informs me that all of the students are tucked safely away in their dormitories for the night, so I think it would be best if we all turned in as well."  
  
The group nodded and began breaking up. Lorien still held onto Severus firmly as Kaneene stayed latched onto Sirius. Finally sensing that things would be alright now that the headmaster had arrived, Kaneene rejoined Keath to resume their rounds.  
  
"Thank you for intervening." Dumbledore said to the aurors quietly. Both nodded and walked out of the woods.  
  
Dumbledore spoke to Lorien next. "Get some rest. Remus may need you when he comes back in the morning." He patted her arm reassuringly and Lorien got the distinct impression that she'd just been dismissed. Dumbledore looked at Marlina. "Would you mind accompanying Lorien and Minerva back to the castle?"  
  
Marlina shook her head, and caught up with the other two women.  
  
  
  
There were only three people left, and Dumbledore stood facing the two remaining wizards in silence for a long moment. He looked from one to the other, opened his mouth as if to say something, and then shook his head sadly and walked away.  
  
Neither said anything, and each would have felt better if Dumbledore had yelled or given them a lecture, but each one knew that the older mage was disappointed in them both.  
  
"Damn." Snape swore quietly.  
  
Black looked at him and held his thumb and forefinger up with about an inch between them. "Feel about this big right now?" He asked, knowing it was how he felt.  
  
"I'd say you're being generous." Snape replied and stalked off.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina walked back to the castle with Minerva and Lorien, and no one said a word until they walked through the doors.  
  
"I'll be glad when this night is over." McGonagall said to the other two, and started to leave them to head for the Gryffindor tower. "I suppose things could be worse, though."  
  
"How's that?" Marlina asked.  
  
"It'd be much worse if he hadn't had the wolfsbane potion." McGonagall replied.  
  
Lorien nodded in agreement.  
  
"Goodnight, ladies." McGonagall said and walked away, leaving the other two witches standing together in the hall.  
  
Marlina looked puzzled and finally spoke up. "What on earth is McGonagall going on about?"  
  
"The wolfsbane potion. Severus makes it for Remus." Lorien said, matter-of-factly.  
  
"The what?" Marlina asked, a little confused.  
  
Lorien seemed confused herself. "You're not familiar with it?"  
  
"Evidently not." Marlina said sarcastically.  
  
"I would have thought that a member of the WCU would know about such things." Lorien replied, a touch of sarcasm in her own voice.  
  
Marlina frowned. "Well I don't. I've never heard of a wolfsbane potion. What exactly is the big deal, anyway?"  
  
Something nagged at Lorien and her mind raced. Marlina had left the WCU over six years ago. The potion had been invented maybe a year or two before Remus first came to teach at Hogwarts. That meant Marlina was probably unaware of it's existence.  
  
Marlina continued to speak while Lorien hesitated. "I don't really see why we've called off the search. The school might be safe but there could still be a threat to Hogsmeade."  
  
"There's no threat." Lorien said quietly, shaking her head.  
  
Marlina snorted. "You just don't get it, do you? I saw you try to play Red Riding Hood to the wolf, Lorien. Obviously you haven't ever seen what happens to the victims of a werewolf, or you wouldn't have done something so dangerous and stupid." Marlina sounded disgusted.  
  
Lorien barely held her tongue. "Marlina, let me explain something to you." She said, trying to sound less irritated than she felt. "Evidently you retired from the WCU before the wolfsbane potion came into existence, and I can well imagine that you had little to do with werewolves or anything associated with them since."  
  
"I'm still trying to have nothing to do with them." Marlina snapped.  
  
"Yes, well let me finish." Lorien said, not controlling her irritation quite as well. "The wolfsbane potion is an amazingly complex and powerful substance that has been of great benefit to the werewolves that have access to it." She said.  
  
"Why don't they all use it, if it's so wonderful?" Marlina asked flippantly.  
  
"It's difficult to come by." Lorien explained. "Only the most skilled Potions masters will even attempt it. Many of the components of the potion on their own are deadly poisons, and if they aren't mixed with great precision, it could turn into quite a fatal concoction."  
  
Marlina gave Lorien a look that said she failed to see a problem with that.  
  
Lorien sighed with exasperation. "You don't have the faintest idea what it does, do you?"  
  
Marlina shrugged.  
  
"When taken daily for a week before the full moon, it allows the werewolf to maintain their human faculties after transformation. Severus makes the potion with great skill, and Remus takes it faithfully every month. He curls up and goes to sleep in his rooms as a normal wolf until morning."  
  
"I find that hard to believe." Marlina said.  
  
"I've been with him outside the door to his rooms all night after several transformations. I assure you it's quite true." Lorien replied sharply.  
  
"Well, if he's so damn safe after taking the potion, why lock him up?" Marlina asked with a sneer, but something was beginning to eat at her.  
  
"That's Remus's choice. He chooses always to err on the side of caution because everyone else's safety comes first." Lorien snapped. "I knew I was speaking to Remus in the forest tonight, and not some murderous beast, so as for your accusation of being stupid.....well, you might want to rethink who that label applies to." Lorien turned on her heel and walked away. 


	24. The Welcome Home

Vonetta - Thanks for the review. You're just in time to welcome Remus home.  
  
Episcopal Witch - Greetings to a fellow werewolf! Arooo! Thanks for your input and welcome to the story.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
This Christmas is shaping up to be one of the most interesting ever, no doubt about it. That includes my tree. I've decorated it with a lot of favorite ornaments that I've collected over the years, but there are several new additions that have added a bit of holiday magic to my living room.  
  
Of course, there is a small gray wolf, a small black dog and a tiny pewter cauldron. I'm sure you know who they're from, but there is also a chocolate frog from Ron that periodically hops to a new spot on the tree, a tiny copy of Hogwarts, A History, from Hermione, and a beautiful snowy owl from Harry that sits on top in place of an angel. There's a tiny cat that changes periodically to a witch's hat from Minerva, and a little blue-green dragon from Lorien.  
  
The coolest ornament has to be the small red phoenix from the headmaster, himself. Once a day, usually in the evening, not only does the ornament burst into flames, but the entire tree does, only to be re- grown and re-decorated a bit later. Of course, it's wizard fire, so nothing else but the tree burns, thank goodness.  
  
And let me tell you all how difficult it has been to get my holiday gift baskets of cookies put together this year with a bunch of wizards around. Harry, Ron, Sirius and Remus put a major dent in the cookies I made, and so I had to make additional batches to have enough.  
  
Severus mostly just rolled his eyes and huffed at them all every time he walked by and saw them raiding my kitchen behind my back. That is until I made the frosted maple cookies with pecans and white chocolate. He tried to deny that he swiped any, but then I caught him red-handed when the Gryffs weren't around.  
  
He looked fairly embarrassed at being caught, and I told him there was a way he could make it up to me and pointed to the mistletoe hanging near the entrance to the kitchen. He seemed a bit puzzled at first, and then brightened and drew his wand, transforming my little plastic plant into a large beautiful bough of fresh mistletoe before he walked off, two more cookies in hand.  
  
It's pretty, but..... not exactly what I had in mind. :P  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Welcome Home ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina stood there watching Lorien's back as she walked quickly away and registered the last comment the woman had made.  
  
"Bitch." She said, under her breath and turned to walk to her own rooms. 'How would I know about something like that bloody potion?' She asked herself. 'I'd have had no reason to know before now.'  
  
'Of course Lorien would know about it, being a healer.' She thought as she walked along. Marlina had noted that Lorien turned to take the stairs to the dungeon instead of going toward the hospital ward. 'Plus she's sleeping with the bloody Potions master.' She rolled her eyes.  
  
Marlina thanked Jane profusely for staying with Noah, but refused to volunteer any information about why she had suddenly been called out. The young Ravenclaw left, and Marlina checked in on the sleeping boy.  
  
She sat down on the edge of the bed, exhausted and drained now that the search had been ended, and felt new but unpleasant feelings begin to stir in the pit of her stomach.  
  
Doubt. Uncertainty. Guilt.  
  
What Lorien had told her was starting to sink in, and it occurred to Marlina that none of the other staff, including Dumbledore himself, seemed as alarmed as she expected that there was a werewolf left running loose near the school.  
  
So, it was true? The wolfsbane potion tamed the beast? The wolf that had faced Lorien in the forest wasn't a brutal killer? Lorien had said that she knew it was Remus she had been speaking to, and the witch sounded so....certain.  
  
'He curls up and goes to sleep like a normal wolf until morning.' She'd said. Is that where he was now? Curled up somewhere asleep?  
  
He'd almost been curled up somewhere dead.  
  
Marlina gasped suddenly and clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized her own blind prejudice had nearly caused her to kill Remus. She'd tried. Her aim had been true....until the large black dog had flung himself on her a second before she fired the crossbow.  
  
She sat there horrified at what she'd almost done. She'd thought she was about to kill a wolf, about to protect the blonde witch from a fate some people would consider worse than death, and instead she'd nearly executed the one person here at Hogwarts that had been more of a friend to her than many people she'd known ten times longer.  
  
Marlina found herself crying, full of both regret and relief, and she curled up on Noah's bed next to the little boy and sobbed quietly until she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien made her way to the dungeon, fuming as she went. This had not been a good night at all. Not only had her evening with Severus been interrupted, but Remus was loose in wolf form, the castle was in a panic, she'd been out on a wild goose chase for a good part of the evening, argued with Marlina, and if she wasn't mistaken the woman had called her a bitch as she walked away. Lovely. The icing on the cake of course, was the incident between Severus and Sirius in the forest.  
  
When she stepped into the room after speaking the counterspell, she went straight for a bottle of wine, opened it, poured herself a glass and sank into the chair she had come to adopt near the fireplace in his rooms. She needed to unwind a little or the next conversation she had tonight was going to be even more unpleasant than she suspected it was already going to be.  
  
When Severus finally came in she had finished half her glass, and met him at the door with one for him in her hand. "Here, this will help."  
  
He flung his cloak on the peg near the door and although he gratefully took the glass from her hand, the look he gave her carried a bit of wariness. "Doci, Lorien." He said as he joined her near the fire.  
  
They sat together in silence for a few minutes and after she watched him wince a little as the wine stung the cut on his lip, Lorien finally spoke first. "I wish that there was some way that......"  
  
"There ISN'T." He said abruptly, interrupting the statement that he knew she was making.  
  
She sighed. "Severus, you don't even know what I was going to say."  
  
He snorted. "You were about to wish that there was some way for me to be on better terms with that damn Gryffindor, that for some reason, you call friend."  
  
Lorien conceded the point. "I do." She said quietly.  
  
"Wish away," he said with a dismissive waive of his hand. "It will never happen."  
  
"Why?" She asked.  
  
"Why?" Severus repeated incredulously. "You want to know why?"  
  
"Yes. Explain to me why two grown men continue to act so childishly over stupid pranks and rivalries from over twenty years ago." She demanded.  
  
"Pranks? Rivalry?" He asked, and his voice said 'danger'. "I'm afraid, my dear," Severus sneered, "that in spending so much time in the company of those exalted Gryffindors that you may have only been informed of one side of the story."  
  
She heard the bitter sarcasm, and kept her own voice neutral to avoid escalating his agitation more. "Tell me your side, Severus."  
  
He drained a large portion of the glass he held and then answered her, telling her the story of how Black had so irresponsibly and carelessly almost sent him to his death at the jaws of the werewolf. When he finished his version of the old story, Lorien had a better understanding of why Severus hated Sirius. She struggled to reconcile the mixed feelings she was having after the tale.  
  
"Well?" He asked, and then took another large swallow of wine.  
  
Lorien sighed again. "What would you like me to do, Severus? Hate him now? Would that help anything, if I decided to hate Sirius?"  
  
He merely glared at her.  
  
"Severus, just because I don't hate him doesn't mean that I'm not upset about what he did."  
  
"You know, it would be nice if you, of all people, were on my side." He said suddenly, sounding hurt and looking away into the fire. "I believe you need to decide where your loyalties lie." Severus said, his voice low and still dangerous.  
  
She was shaking her head. "I know where they lie." She went to where he sat and placed a hand on either arm of the chair to lean over him a little as she spoke. "I believe in my heart that I'll never have need of proving it, but if it ever came down to you or him, Severus...I would stand with you." She said gently.  
  
He looked back at her and nodded once. "That's really all I ever wanted to hear you say." He stood up and drew her to him, holding her close for a while.  
  
"Now," she said, backing away, "let me look at that." She indicated the cut on his lip where Black's fist had made contact and place her fingertips against it.  
  
"It's fine." He protested, but he didn't move away from her touch, and after a minute of her warm fingers against him, his lip no longer hurt. "Thank you." He said when she'd finished.  
  
"Just demonstrating my loyalties." She teased as she turned away.  
  
He caught her around the waist and pulled her so he was pressed against her back with his arms around her. "Not so fast." He said in that soft low voice, dangerous again now for different reasons. "I think I need a bit more of a demonstration."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When Sirius finally dragged himself to his rooms it was very late. He had waited outside a while longer after everyone else had gone back to the castle, on the off chance that the wolf might return. No such luck. He was reaching for the door when he heard Kaneene's voice behind him. She had evidently just come off duty and came to find him.  
  
"Sirius?"  
  
He turned to her in the hallway and smiled tiredly. "Off duty, Moody?"  
  
"Yes. Can I speak with you for a minute?" She asked.  
  
He nodded and led her inside.  
  
"What's up?" He asked as he flung himself wearily onto the couch and patted the cushion next to him, indicating she should sit.  
  
She sat down and spoke in a tentative manner. "Maybe it's none of my business, but what I saw happening in the woods tonight looked pretty serious."  
  
His expression was unreadable. "It was." He said simply. "Snape's nothing but problems."  
  
Kaneene raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"  
  
"I know so. He can't seem to keep from stirring up trouble." Sirius said, now starting to become more animated with anger at his nemesis.  
  
"So, he started it?" She asked quietly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Kaneene looked at Sirius pointedly. "Care to tell me exactly what happened?"  
  
"Look, the slimy git grabbed me, so I hit him. He drew his wand, I drew mine. That's when you got there." Sirius explained, obviously agitated.  
  
"He just grabbed you for no reason?" She asked.  
  
Sirius frowned. "How do I know why he does what he does?"  
  
Kaneene had a feeling there was more to the story that Sirius just wasn't seeing. "What were you doing when he grabbed you?"  
  
Sirius thought back. "I was yelling at Marlina."  
  
"You were?" Asked Kaneene, trying to keep her tone neutral.  
  
"Yes, and then Lorien tried to step in...and I pushed her away and kept yelling." Sirius replied, running a hand over the back of his neck. "I was pretty upset, I guess."  
  
"So, let me get this straight," Kaneene said. "Snape was watching you chew out a fellow Slytherin, and then saw you push Lorien, and you're surprised he grabbed your arm?"  
  
Sirius shrugged noncommittally but didn't like the implications of what the auror was saying. "Are you saying the whole thing was my fault?" He asked.  
  
"No, but what I'm saying is that maybe you shouldn't blame the whole thing on Severus, either."  
  
Sirius looked at her icily. "You're defending him? Since when do you defend trash like that Death Eater, Snape?" He demanded.  
  
Kaneene didn't like his tone of voice. "First of all, Black, you seem to forget that he isn't a Death Eater anymore, so lay off of that, and second, he isn't always the slimy git you make him out to be."  
  
Sirius was taken aback by the way she seemed to be lecturing him. "You sound like Lorien." He snipped.  
  
Kaneene shrugged. "Maybe Lorien knows what she's talking about."  
  
Black snorted. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation. What the hell made you decide to become a rabid Snape fan all of a sudden?"  
  
Kaneene laughed. "I assure you that I am not a rabid fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I admit that I have begun to look at things from a different perspective now that I know about Halloween."  
  
"Halloween?"  
  
"Sirius, the reason Keath survived the night at the ministry is because Snape saved his life." Kaneene went on to relate the incident with the illegal potion.  
  
Sirius did his best not to look as surprised as he felt and obviously failed, judging by the way Kaneene laughed at him. "Sirius, trust me, you don't look half as surprised as I was when I found out."  
  
True to form, Sirius tried to make light of the situation and poked fun at himself. "You know you're screwing up the way I have everyone neatly placed in an appropriate cubby hole of good and bad." He said . "Really? And which cubby hole do you file me in, Sirius?" She asked with a sly grin.  
  
Sirius was not going to let this slip by, and he leaned closer to the female auror on the couch next to him. He gazed at her with deep blue eyes behind long lashes and smiled. "Right now I'd say you're firmly in the good slot.....but I'm hoping you'll prove me wrong." He said suggestively. He slid one hand gently behind her head and pulled her in for a long tender kiss.  
  
Kaneene kept her eyes closed for a minute, savoring the moment as he pulled back a little, and then looked at him and grinned. "It's about time you did that, Black."  
  
He grinned back. "Yeah, I suppose it is." He replied and then kissed the lady auror again in a way that convinced her it was worth the wait.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Shortly after sunrise, Sirius was waiting outside the castle, searching for signs of his friend's return, when he heard someone walk up behind him and turned. It was Lorien, coming to wait with him for Remus.  
  
"Good morning." She said quietly, scanning the grounds as he had been.  
  
"Morning, Lorien." A pause. "No sign yet."  
  
"He'll be back soon, don't you think?" She asked.  
  
"Any time now." Both Sirius and Lorien looked up at the sound of footsteps again. Kaneene joined them on the lawn, and they all exchanged morning pleasantries and looked up together as yet another set of footsteps came near. Dumbledore himself joined the threesome, followed immediately by McGonagall.  
  
"Well, this is quite the welcome party." Dumbledore observed, eyes twinkling as he gazed around the group. "I believe the only ones missing this morning are.." The headmaster was interrupted by the sounds of running footsteps, and Harry, Ron and Hermione skidded around the corner of the doorway and came to a halt when they saw the group of adults already present.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "As I was saying." He indicated the three young Gryffindors and addressed them. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger....won't you wait with the rest of us out here?"  
  
The three students looked uncertainly from one to another and then came to stand near Sirius to wait with the others for Remus to come home.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus woke in the forest, not all that far from the castle, with the mother of all migraines, that morning. He managed to sit upright and groan, and then trying to get his eyes to focus on his surroundings, remembered some of what had happened the night before as he became aware of the burns he was feeling in a rather unpleasant location where the wolf's tail had previously been. He opted to try to stand to get off of his seared backside, and held onto a nearby tree to steady himself as he got to his feet.  
  
Damn. He felt awful. It had been ages, probably two years, since he'd woken up and not been safely tucked away in his rooms or office, and he wasn't really sure which direction the castle lay in. He reached for his wand, hoping that it was tucked in his robes where he usually kept it and his hand found the rowan wood shaft where it ought to be. 'Thank Merlin.'  
  
It was all he could do to manage the four points spell, and he set out in the direction of the school once he got his bearings. It was slow going. He was exhausted and weak, and the singed parts of him were definitely not helping him move any faster, but eventually he emerged from the trees and made his way toward the castle.  
  
Part of him couldn't wait to get back to the school and the security of his private rooms, and part of him dreaded facing anyone at all now that he'd been out for the night running rampant. How did it happen, anyway? He knew Sirius had warded the door, and he remembered brief impressions of explosions, his burning tail, and leaping through the window. He really had no idea how it all started. Well, he'd deal with all that later, after he'd had some sleep, and much later, something to eat.  
  
As Remus neared the castle, he suddenly realized he'd be dealing with all of it a lot sooner than he'd hoped, as he recognized that a small gathering of people was waiting outside the entrance to the castle. He momentarily entertained the thought of running for the woods again, but he steeled himself and walked up to the waiting group.  
  
And nearly broke down.  
  
They were waiting for him, friends, all of them, to make sure he was alright. Relieved smiles met him all around as Sirius stepped forward to put his arm around his friend's shoulders. "About time." He said, and Remus gave him a weak smile.  
  
"Sorry. Stepped out for a bit of fresh air." He quipped, and everyone looked relieved to see he had enough strength to maintain his sense of humor.  
  
Dumbledore stepped forward and placed his hand on Remus's arm. "I'm glad to see you back safe this morning, Remus. We were all worried." He indicated the group surrounding them.  
  
Remus looked worried. "I'm sorry, Albus. I'm sorry to all of you for having created such a problem last night."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Remus." Sirius scolded. "It's not your fault, and everyone here understands that."  
  
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "Extenuating circumstances, certainly. Thank Merlin for that potion, eh?"  
  
Remus smiled weakly again. "Thank you all for being concerned." He said, looking around the group quickly.  
  
"Now," Dumbledore continued, "I believe we all have classes and duties to attend to this morning, and I believe that Mistress Lorien will tend to the good Professor." He looked around meaningfully, effectively dismissing the gathering.  
  
Lorien and Sirius each took an arm and helped Remus back to his rooms.  
  
"Ok, sit here and we'll deal with that headache." Lorien patted a chair.  
  
Remus frowned. "I think I'd rather stand for now."  
  
Sirius scolded him. "Moony, it would be easier if you sat down."  
  
Remus eyed him ruefully. "Can't." Was all he said.  
  
"Why not?" Sirius asked.  
  
"I, um....got my....tail burned." Remus said, turning somewhat red.  
  
Sirius snickered and Lorien shot him a dirty look. "Here, let's deal with the headache first." She said to Remus, and placed her hands on him and summarily banished the migraine.  
  
Remus sighed with relief. "Thank you."  
  
Lorien smiled. "Let's deal with that burn now."  
  
Sirius found great amusement in the look that Remus got on his face when it dawned on him that he was going to have to let Lorien examine the burns.  
  
"Go on then, Moony." He chortled. "Drop 'em and let the witch take a good look at your.....er...injuries."  
  
Remus knew that Sirius was enjoying this immensely.  
  
"Well? Go on." Sirius coaxed. "It's not like she hasn't seen it before."  
  
It was Lorien's turn to flush with color and she quickly took Sirius by the arm and led him to the door. "Out!" She snapped and shoved the still chuckling wizard out the door and shut it soundly. She returned to Remus who was still looking reluctant to expose any more of himself than was already visible.  
  
"Are you going to be a cooperative patient," Lorien asked, with her hands on her hips, "or am I going to have to put you in a full body bind and undress you myself?"  
  
Remus finally smiled at her. "If I weren't so tired, Lorien, that might sound like an interesting proposition." She laughed at him, please that he was able to joke with her that way, and he finally opted to cooperate.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione were leaving the common room on their way to class a short while later, when Hermione realized that she had a book she wanted to return to the library that she'd left in her room. "You guys go on." She said. "I'll catch up with you later."  
  
Harry and Ron shrugged and walked off to head to class together.  
  
Hermione fetched the book out of her dorm room, and then rushed out of the tower to catch up with her male companions. She sighed with frustration as she had to pick her way along a different set of staircases since they'd shifted when she'd gone back.  
  
She walked quickly with her armful of books, not wanting to be late for her first class of the day, and quickened her pace a bit more as she rounded the corner to the next hallway. She promptly collided with something solid around the other side, not far from the stairs that led to the dungeon, and as she dropped the stack of books she'd been carrying, she prayed that she hadn't just plowed into Professor Snape.  
  
When she looked up she realized it was even worse. She'd just nearly run over Keath Moody, and she felt her face get very warm as she stammered a less than eloquent apology. "I'm so sorry...I was in a hurry....I didn't see..."  
  
"That's quite alright." The handsome young auror said, grinning at her obvious embarrassment. He squatted down and retrieved the books from the floor as Hermione continued to babble.  
  
"I'm really sorry." She repeated, taking back the books he now offered to her.  
  
"No harm done." He replied with another charming smile.  
  
Hermione blushed a deeper red as her eyes met the green ones belonging to Keath. "I....I always seem to be in your way." She said, looking away quickly.  
  
"You say that like it's a problem." Keath said with a flirtatious smirk as he started to walk off.  
  
Hermione realized her mouth was hanging open as she recognized the fact that the man was flirting with her and quickly shut it. "Thanks." She said quietly, indicating the books he'd picked up for her.  
  
"Anytime." Keath said with a wink, and walked off down the hall.  
  
Hermione was too distracted after that to even noticed when Professor Vector commented on her being late for class.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: If any of you are bakers and want the recipe for one of my all time favorite cookies (the ones Severus likes) try here -http://www.verybestbaking.com/Recipes/Search/RecipeCard.asp?RecipeID=30250& BrandSiteID=2 


	25. Lesson From a Six Year Old

Kat-tak Welcome. You're in time to help start planning the party.  
  
Jig - Mione is nearly 16, and Keath, the youngest of all the Moody clan is about 22. Feel better now? Much more believable than Hermione and Snape. (Although a couple of my favorite stories are Hr/SS, but only because they are so well written.)  
  
Draco-luver - of course the ear-plug reference was for you! And don't think I don't know about the recommendation on your profile page. I'm not saying anything about where this story is headed my dear, but I will tell you that it's definitely going to be longer than WW&S.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It's snowing out, and Nytd shuts down her computer after finishing the latest chapter and looks forward to a quiet evening with her three wizard friends before they head back to Hogwarts for Christmas and she heads out to be with her muggle family.  
  
She sets out a plate of maple cookies and spiked eggnog, and notes the tree has finished smoldering in the corner and is nearly back to full height when two of the men come in. Sirius turns on Christmas carols in the background and the threesome sit down to exchange gifts.  
  
"Where's Severus?" Nytd asks, looking around.  
  
"Not sure." Remus replies. "There was something important he had to do, but he wouldn't say what." Remus hands her a tiny green box tied with red ribbon. "He told me to give this to you if he didn't make it back in time."  
  
Nytd looks momentarily disappointed, and then sets the box aside. "I'll wait a bit, just in case." She perks up. "Ok. I'll go first." Says Nytd, picking up a package from under the tree and handing it to Remus. "You were the easiest." She says with a smile and a wink.  
  
Remus is very excited when he opens the box and discovers his own copy of Mortal Kombat to play on Nytd's PS2. He grins at her. "Thanks, Nytd." He says and gives her a hug. "Now yours." He hands her a small box with silver stars and moons on the paper.  
  
Nytd is curious, to say the least, about getting Christmas presents from her wizard companions, and opens the package quickly. A small pretty glass bottle with different shades of blue swirled through it, and a glass stopper sits in the tissue paper. "It's beautiful, Remus!" She says.  
  
"It's got your favorite perfume in it and I charmed it so that it doesn't run out." He replies.  
  
Nytd is thrilled and gives Remus a she-bear hug and kisses him. "Thank you so much! I love it, Remus." She looks at Sirius and then hands him a small envelope. "This is for you, Snuffles."  
  
He gives her a look for the nickname, and then grins as he opens the envelope. Sirius bursts out laughing as he reads the card announcing that he now has a two year subscription to "Bikes and Babes."  
  
Nytd laughs. "I'm sorry to say that the pictures don't move, though."  
  
"I can fix that." Sirius jokes. He grabs Nytd and hugs her, and then takes her by the hand and leads her to the window. "There, that's for you." He says.  
  
Nytd is puzzled at first. "You shoveled my driveway for Christmas?"  
  
"Nytd, you know me better than that." Sirius pouts. "It took me a while, but I finally got the charms right."  
  
Nytd realizes what he's saying and gasps. "You mean...."  
  
"Yup. No more shoveling the driveway. Period." Sirius replies, looking a bit pleased with himself as Nytd flings her arms around the handsome animagus.  
  
"Thank you so much, Sirius!" She says, excited at the prospect of not having to shovel her driveway during another long Maine winter.  
  
"Anyone up for Mortal Kombat?" Remus asks.  
  
"You're like a little kid with that thing." Sirius scolds him.  
  
"You're just afraid I can kick your ass." Remus replies.  
  
"No way." Sirius replies.  
  
"Can." Says Remus with a grin.  
  
"Can't." Insists Sirius.  
  
"Come on then, if you're man enough to face me." Remus teases.  
  
Nytd rolls her eyes at the two and laughs as then head for the next room playfully shoving each other. She eyes the small green box and then looks at her watch. Should she open it, or wait? It's getting late. She shakes the box and something rattles a bit. She really wants to wait to see if Severus gets back, but now curiosity is getting the better of her. She decides to open it, and reaches for the red ribbon.  
  
"A bit impatient, are we?"  
  
Nytd looks up to see Snape leaning against the doorway, arms folded and looking slightly amused. "You're back." She says, brightening a little.  
  
"Well, go on. Open it." He says, leaning off the door and coming to stand next to her.  
  
She smiles and pulls the paper off the small box. Inside are earrings that appear to be tiny wineglasses fitted with garnets that make them look like they're filled with red wine. "Severus! These are wonderful." She exclaims.  
  
"May I?" He holds out his hand, and she deposits the earrings in his palm. He speaks a single word, and then hands her back a glass of Rioja. "The charm will work, even for a muggle." He informs her, taking a sip from the second glass of wine he holds.  
  
Nytd is absolutely delighted, and drags a box out from under the tree for him. She watches expectantly as he opens it and removes the five potted plants that come from clippings from her own garden. "I've been growing them all fall." She says.  
  
"These are the Five Sisters." Snape says, surprised that Nytd would know about the group of Druidic herbs used as enhancing agents in so many potions.  
  
"Now, you'll always have some on hand." She says, hoping he likes the gift. "Well?" She asks, waiting for a response.  
  
He glances at her and then back at the box. "Let me see if you have the correct five." He says, inspecting each plant. "Hmmm, henbane....yes, pulsatilla...yes, primrose...yes, clover...yes, and ah, yes, mistletoe." He snaps a small piece off the last. "Well done, Nytd." He says, coming to stand near her. "Thank you."  
  
"You're very welcome." She says, smiling.  
  
"Now," Snape says, "there is one other small matter that we need to address."  
  
"What's that, Severus?" She asks as he steps closer.  
  
"I don't want you to think that this Potions master isn't aware of ALL the uses for mistletoe." He replies slyly, holding the small piece of plant over Nytd's head.  
  
Remus bounds out of the other room, about to announce that he has indeed, kicked Snuffle's ass, but stops short and quietly backtracks with a smile as he finds Nytd with her arms around Snape's neck as he kisses her in front of the magical Christmas tree.  
  
  
  
(How's that for a Christmas wish?) ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lesson From a Six-Year Old ~*~  
  
  
  
Sirius was having a grand time planning the party to be held in two weeks. He finally had been able to distract Remus from his worries over the wolf's escape and fallout with Marlina enough to enlist his help in charming an elaborate muggle sound system to work inside the castle without electricity.  
  
They obtained the help of Hermione, Harry, Colin Creevey, Seamus Finnegan, and several other muggle-born students to come up with an acceptable music selection for the party, and decided that they would definitely use Remus's connection to order a large amount of pizza and other snacks. Remus suggested that they also obtain muggle beverages known as soda to go along with the pizza.  
  
"Ok. So now we've covered music, sound system, food, drink, and we need to decide on dress." Sirius announced one night to Remus and Kaneene. He looked at the witch and smiled. "Care to wear the same outfit you were planning to wear to the pajama party?"  
  
Remus saw the auror was blushing and decided he'd better not ask. "Muggle clothes of any sort ok, you think?" He asked Sirius.  
  
"Yes. One rule. No robes and no wands. Anything else is fine by me." He replied.  
  
"You know the Slytherins are going to go absolutely berserk when they hear this." Remus said, trying not to smile.  
  
Sirius grinned back. "Yes. I believe ALL the Slytherins will be most annoyed at our choice of theme."  
  
Remus laughed. "We should offer to help him dress for the occasion. Maybe one of those awful muggle t-shirts with the yellow smiley face?"  
  
Sirius snorted. "The one that always says 'Have a Nice Day?'"  
  
That was it. Neither of them could stand the thought any longer and they fell against each other laughing.  
  
Kaneene was trying not to laugh at their antics as they made sport of the absent Potions master, but she couldn't help but giggle at the two of them leaning against each other, nearly in tears. "You two are awful." She said.  
  
"No....no....wait." Sirius gasped, still laughing. "What about the one that says 'Don't worry, Be Happy?" The two of them had to sit down, they were laughing so hard.  
  
Kaneene rolled her eyes and got up, still smiling. "I'll be back later when you boys get around to growing back up." She stepped past them and left, still hearing the two men laughing together as she walked down the hall.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape had finally finished what he was doing and ran a hand back through his hair, a puzzled look on his face. He had set about the task of trying to determine the composition of the remnants of the explosive found in Lupin's rooms on the request of the headmaster, and now that he had completed his analysis the results were mystifying. No one knew how the explosive had made it's way into the werewolf's rooms, but there was no mistaking what one of the components was, and Severus tried to think of the last time he had even seen erumpent horn fluid.  
  
It had been ages, even years, since it was primarily a black market item, and he wondered where someone at Hogwart's had managed to procure it. Dumbledore was not going to be happy about this, he thought as he put the last of the books he had been using away.  
  
He decided to venture out of the dungeon for a while, and made his way to the rooms of the Mistress of the Healing Arts for a change of pace. He knocked on her door and then let himself in when he heard her reply to his knock.  
  
The sitting room was empty and he called to Lorien, figuring she must be in the bedroom, and flung himself onto her couch near the fire.  
  
She appeared in the doorway to the bedroom. "Well? What do you think?" She said.  
  
Severus looked up and for a moment was speechless, and then he frowned. "What in the name of Merlin do you have on your head, Lorien?" He asked, staring at her in an obviously displeased way.  
  
"What, you don't like it?" She asked, amused that he looked so distressed.  
  
"Don't even tell me that you're thinking about wearing THAT to the ridiculous party." He sneered.  
  
"Would you rather?" She asked, removing the cowboy hat from her head and offering it to him.  
  
"I WOULD NOT!" He said indignantly. "Where did you even get such an absurd thing?"  
  
"Montana." She replied. "I might wear it with my Wranglers and my Ropers."  
  
"Your what?" He asked, exasperated.  
  
She waved him off. "American muggle clothes. Got them when I was there." She noticed this new bit of information did nothing to help rid Severus of the expression he was still wearing, and she set the hat down and decided to torment him longer. "You know all the staff is expected to be at this party."  
  
"I'm aware." He said icily.  
  
"And Dumbledore expects everyone to be a sport about it." She said, a twinkle in her own eye. "Severus, you're going to have to set a good example for the Slytherins, you know."  
  
He glared at her, and folded his arms across his chest. "The things I do for that man!"  
  
"Are you pouting?" She asked.  
  
"Certainly not!" He said, thinking to himself that she was probably the one person that could get away with asking him that. "May we change the subject?" He asked.  
  
"You're going to have to deal with it sooner or later." She advised him.  
  
"I shall deal with it LATER." He said with finality. "New subject!" He snapped at her.  
  
"Ok, fine. New subject." She said, now irritated. "I'm leaving you."  
  
"Are you?" He asked nonchalantly, examining his fingernails.  
  
"Yes." She replied casually, picking the cowboy hat back up.  
  
"Immediately?" He asked her and then suppressed a yawn.  
  
"In a few weeks." She said, trying the hat back on in front of a mirror to see if she liked it with her hair down or up under it.  
  
"And where are you going when you leave me?" He inquired, rising and coming to stand near her.  
  
"Does it matter?" She said, refusing to look at him and still primping with the hat.  
  
"Will you be leaving me for good, or will you be returning?" He asked, quite obviously amused now.  
  
"That," she said, turning around and facing him, "depends on whether or not you can be a little nicer to me." She pouted.  
  
Severus knew it was all an act, and that it was her way of telling him to shape up when he'd been snippy with her. He reached out and yanked the hat off her head and threw it on the table. "You wouldn't know what to do if I were nice to you." He teased. He could see she was trying not to smile. "As a matter of fact, I think you like the fact that I'm not nice." He said, grabbing her arms and yanking her closer. "Don't you?"  
  
She looked away smiling. "At times."  
  
He lifted her chin suddenly. "And is now one of those times?" He asked, already knowing it was by the way she was blushing. He didn't wait for her answer and kissed her roughly.  
  
"Stop that." She said a bit breathlessly. "It's Poppy's night off and I'm on call."  
  
"Pity." He said, turning away. "Clearly you'd rather not be working."  
  
Lorien smiled as she watched him sit back on the couch, thinking that it was clear that he also wished she were not on call. She joined him on the couch and leaned against him, and smiled as she thought about the owl she'd received from Perth. He had invited her to the council meeting, but it was really the P.S. of his letter that intrigued her. It simply said 'Give my regards to the Potions master.' Taber had guessed, and if Lorien knew him as well as she thought she did, he'd known before she did what her choice would be.  
  
"So, where are you really going?" Snape asked.  
  
"The Nemorosi Council." She said. "They're meeting to discuss what to do about the witch executions, and Perth wants me there to fill them in on what happened in Diagon Alley."  
  
"How long will you be away?" Severus asked.  
  
"A few days, maybe four or five. It shouldn't be a problem for Poppy because I'll be gone over the Easter holiday." She replied.  
  
Severus looked serious when he spoke again. "Were you planning on going alone? It might not be safe."  
  
"I'm sure it'll be fine." She said without conviction.  
  
"I don't like the thought of you going by yourself. It's too dangerous for you to be on your own as a Nemorosi witch right now." Severus said.  
  
"Oh. I guess that could be a problem." She said with a hint of mock concern and disappointment in her voice.  
  
"I could go with you." He offered. "It would be safer if you had company."  
  
"Hmm. I hadn't thought of that." She lied, knowing that if she had invited him he probably would have balked at going. "Excellent idea, Severus." She brightened instantly. "And while you're there you can finally meet Perth."  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed. "You're just letting me think that accompanying you was my idea, aren't you?" He asked, realizing at that moment that she'd manipulated him into volunteering.  
  
"You look at it any way you like," she said mischievously, patting his arm, "but it looks like either way you're going to the Nemorosi council."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Draco watched as the second eagle owl that belonged to the Malfoy family swooped into the room and came to land on the back of a chair. "Charon, love. A note for me?" He asked the large bird as it returned his gaze. He took the letter and opened it after once again dispelling the curse that the Malfoys sealed their correspondence with.  
  
He smiled as he read it. Evidently everything was in place, and all he had to do was to wait for the proper time, which would be soon. He had been given a large responsibility, and relished the fact that such an honor had been bestowed upon him.  
  
His father had showed confidence in him, and now he was going to prove himself worthy to the Dark Lord. Things were falling into place nicely, and he could almost taste his long-awaited vengeance. It was going to be sweet, he knew it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Every time Marlina saw Remus in the hallway as they were entering their respective classrooms, she found that the whole situation was awkward and messy. She always unlocked her classroom as fast as possible and tried to bolt inside before he got to his, or tried to pretend he wasn't standing there a short distance away, but it was inevitable that on occasion they made eye contact.  
  
Marlina could feel her face redden, and a confusing mix of anger, guilt, and sadness overtook her, while Remus stood there calmly and just looked back at her. It was difficult to read anything in his expression, and during the few instances that she'd had the courage to meet his gaze for more than a second, he'd just sighed and turned away.  
  
'He hates me.' She thought, watching him enter his classroom once again one afternoon. 'Not that he shouldn't.' She told herself. 'After the way I treated him, and not to mention the fact that I nearly shot him.'  
  
She finished lecturing that day and went to the staff room to get Noah, who was in the company of Professor Flitwick. They emerged into the corridor and were heading back toward their rooms, when Remus stepped out of his classroom just as they were passing it. Noah was ecstatic.  
  
"Remus!" The little boy cried, and ran to the Defense professor as he was closing the door. Marlina was unprepared for the boy's actions, and reacted too slowly to stop the lad from going.  
  
Remus turned around just in time for Noah to fling himself against him in a miniature bear hug. His first instinct was to hug the boy back, but he settled for affectionately tousling the boy's auburn hair. "How are you, Noah?" He asked, wary of the witch standing nearby.  
  
"Good." The boy answered, obviously happy to see his recently absent friend.  
  
Marlina approached to fetch the boy, wanting to do so as fast as possible.  
  
"Professor Perkins." Remus said, quietly acknowledging her. His gaze never faltered as the gray eyes met hers.  
  
"Professor Lupin." She returned awkwardly, and then looked at Noah. "Come on Noah, we have to go."  
  
Noah looked a bit confused, but agreed and turned to follow his mother. "Bye, Remus." He called cheerfully, as he went down the hall.  
  
"Bye, Noah." Remus said, looking wistfully after the small boy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina knew she had to tell Noah what was going on. She hadn't had the heart to tell her son what the problem was, and she knew he needed to know the truth. She sat down on the couch and called him to her when they go to their rooms.  
  
"Noah? Come here, love."  
  
"What, Mom?" He asked.  
  
"Come sit with me. I need to talk to you about something." She said.  
  
"Ok." Noah hopped up on the couch to sit next to her.  
  
Marlina began. "Noah, you remember some of the things I told you about your dad?"  
  
"MmmHmm." A cheerful affirmative.  
  
"Do you remember that he was killed while he was on duty?" She asked.  
  
"MmmHmm." Another.  
  
Marlina knew that Noah didn't place a lot of significance on what had happened to his father, since the man had died before Noah was old enough to even recognize him. He did know that something bad had happened a long time ago that took his father away.  
  
"Noah, do you know what a werewolf is?" Marlina asked cautiously.  
  
"Course!" He said proudly.  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"A person that turns into a wolf on the full moon." He said, matter-of- factly.  
  
"That's right. You know that they're very dangerous, right?" She asked.  
  
Noah shrugged. "I guess." For a six year old wizard, turning into a wolf didn't exactly seem like a bad idea. It sounded pretty cool.  
  
"You know they can kill people?" She asked him.  
  
Noah looked worried. "Really?"  
  
"Yes." Marlina said, knowing she had to be careful not to overly frighten the boy. "Noah, your father used to catch werewolves."  
  
Noah thought about this for a minute. "Cause they were bad?"  
  
"Yes, because they were bad, Noah." She said. "Hon, that's how your father died. A werewolf was being bad, and your dad tried to catch him..." Marlina hesitated, trying not to break down in front of him. She took a deep breath and continued. "He wanted everyone else to be safe, but....well, he got too close and the wolf bit him." She finished.  
  
"So he died?" Noah asked, looking very serious.  
  
Marlina nodded, and Noah said nothing for a long time.  
  
"Noah?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I have something to tell you....something that's not very nice and it's going to be hard for you to understand, ok?" She watched her son carefully to see if he was handling this ok. So far it appeared he was. She hesitated. Why did she have to tell him this? Couldn't someone else do this? Couldn't someone else tell him the terrible truth?  
  
"Noah. It's about Remus." She said at last.  
  
"Remus?" He asked, brightening at first, and then his face dropped as he recalled that she had said it was something bad she had to tell him.  
  
"Sweetheart, Remus is..well he's...Noah, Remus is a werewolf." Marlina felt ill as she managed to say the word. Her son was about to be devastated.  
  
Noah looked frightened. "Mom, he is?"  
  
She nodded and pulled her son into a protective embrace, but he wriggled free after a minute. "Mom, is someone going to catch Remus?" He asked, sounding very worried.  
  
"No, love. No one is going to catch Remus.."  
  
"Cause he's not being bad, right?"  
  
"Right." She said, and saw that Noah looked relieved. It suddenly dawned on her that Noah hadn't been afraid for himself, but for what might happen to his friend.  
  
Noah looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked a question that shook Marlina badly. "They're not going to catch Remus, cause he's a good werewolf, right?"  
  
She froze at his words and her mind reeled.  
  
"Right, Mom?" Noah asked again, waiting for an answer. "He's not a bad werewolf, he's a good one, right?"  
  
She looked at Noah and smiled a little. "Right, love. Remus is a good werewolf."  
  
Noah smiled. "Cool. Can I go play now?"  
  
Marlina nodded and Noah ran off to play, and she wondered why a six year old could see things so plainly, where she herself was blinded.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus leaned back against the edge of his desk as he lectured, and looked around the classroom full of fifth year students as they all took notes wearily. "Anyone have any other questions on the Five Ways of Altering a Deathbed Curse?"  
  
A murmured chorus of no's.  
  
Hermione's head shot up, followed by her hand. "Professor Lupin, I thought you said there were four ways?" She asked. The rest of the class suddenly seemed a little confused and started looking around at one another.  
  
"I did originally say four." Remus replied. "Just wanted to see who was awake and who's not." He said with a gleam in his eye. "Now," he said, satisfied that the class was again giving him it's undivided attention, "we're going to be covering mangabeys."  
  
Lupin got through his description of the small, cave-dwelling, monkey-like creatures and went on to tell about how harmless they first appear, but how the saliva of the creature contained a slow acting but deadly poison. "They don't need to bite you for you to be exposed to the toxin." He explained. "Since they spend a good deal of time licking their paws and grooming themselves, there often is enough venom on their claws for a scratch to provide adequate exposure, and subsequent complications."  
  
Ron leaned Harry's way. "Did he say they live in caves?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yeah."  
  
"Now," Lupin said, looking around the room, "does anyone know what mangabeys are generally used for?"  
  
Hermione's hand shot up.  
  
"Yes, Hermione?" Lupin asked her.  
  
"They're mostly used as treasure guardians." She replied confidently.  
  
"Correct, Hermione." Remus said. "They can be quite territorial, and make a fairly effective deterrent, especially if you have a breeding pair set up as guardians. The males will become much more aggressive in the presence of a female."  
  
Ron leaned over to Harry again. "Why do you suppose they live in caves?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "I don't know."  
  
"Does anyone know why they live in caves?" Lupin asked the class.  
  
Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, as did the rest of the class.  
  
Lupin smiled. "Miss Granger?"  
  
Hermione was unfazed. "It's because of rain." She replied.  
  
"Rain?" Ron asked her. "What's rain got to do with the caves?"  
  
"Hermione is right, Ron." Lupin replied. "They live in caves because they prefer the seclusion, but also because they can't tolerate much water at a time. The dampness of the cave isn't a problem for them with all the thick fur that they have, but if they were to get hit by a downpour, that would be the end of them."  
  
The class looked astonished. "Why?" asked, Seamus Finnegan.  
  
Lupin smiled. "They melt." He said. "Practically disintegrate."  
  
"So, is that how you get rid of them?" Harry asked, wondering what it would be like to see a living creature actually melt.  
  
"Yes, that or stab them once cleanly through the heart." Lupin replied. "I'd recommend the water for two reasons. One, in order to stab them you'd most likely have to get within reach of their claws, and two, if you don't stab them cleanly and happen to hack a bit off, you end up with another mangabey in about five minutes."  
  
The bell rang, indicating that class was over.  
  
"We'll finish covering how to deal with mangabeys and their poison next lecture." Remus concluded as the students all gathered their things and straggled out. He winked at Hermione as he could see she was trying to explain to Ron that there really were only four ways to alter a Deathbed Curse, and that he hadn't really missed anything.  
  
  
  
Remus watched the last student leave the classroom, and was about to lean off the desk to follow them out when he saw Marlina step in.  
  
She shut the door behind her, and Remus began to worry.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: If you know your Greek mythology, then you know that the two owls that have visited Draco, Acheron and Charon, are one of the rivers of Hades and the ferryman to the underworld, respectively.  
  
A mangabey is actually a small, harmless Old World monkey from Africa, but I've borrowed them and ....er...altered them a little for the DADA lesson.  
  
  
  
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! 


	26. Confessions of a Werewolf

A/N: This is a bit long with several mood changes. Hope you don't mind.  
  
Mija - Thanks and welcome  
  
EL - Thanks also, and welcome.  
  
Ignominia, my friend. This is a chapter full of good solid werewolf angst, just for you.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Confessions of a Werewolf ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina looked at Remus for a bit without saying anything, and she could tell that he was worried that she was angry. She finally broke the silence in the classroom. "I had a bit of a talk with Noah." She said, walking closer slowly as she spoke.  
  
"Did you?" Remus asked, watching her warily.  
  
"Yes." She replied, stopping for a minute and casually examining a book left behind by a student on a desk before placing it back down.  
  
Remus assumed it was about the hug in the hallway. "Look, Marlina, I didn't know that he was going to do that. I didn't intend to go near him, he just...."  
  
She silenced him by holding up a hand. "I realize that." She said simply.  
  
"Oh." Remus wondered what she could be there for in that case.  
  
"No, I'm not here to discuss him hugging you." She continued. "I'm here because yesterday he told me what you were."  
  
Remus looked decidedly confused. "I don't follow you."  
  
Marlina carefully explained. "I sat Noah down to tell him about your condition yesterday, but I think he provided me with a clearer understanding than I gave him about things."  
  
"And how did he do that?" Remus asked, still watching her cautiously.  
  
"My son was pleased to hear that the WCU would not be after you, and quickly made the assumption it was because you're not a bad werewolf." Marlina said, coming to stand directly in front of Remus. "As a matter of fact, he was very quick to point out that he was convinced that you were a good werewolf."  
  
Remus gripped the edge of the desk he was leaning on tightly, as he felt a wave of affection for the boy surge through him. Noah knew and didn't fear him. That was something, anyway. He looked at Marlina as she spoke again.  
  
"Remus, I think that Noah has had a much better perspective on things than I have. My judgment was obviously clouded by my own past experience, and I've been blind to some very simple truths. I owe you my deepest apology, and I hope that you'll be able to forgive me at some point."  
  
Remus spoke quietly. "For trying to kill the wolf?" He asked.  
  
She frowned. "Yes, I'm sorry I tried to shoot you Remus. I thought that....."  
  
"No." He said, interrupting her. "You didn't try to kill me. In your mind you were trying to kill the beast, and I understand why. I know that you've had a terrible time of things because of a werewolf, Marlina. I can understand why you reacted the way you did."  
  
Marlina could feel her emotions beginning to come unraveled. She didn't deserve for Remus to be so understanding. She shook her head. "Remus I should have seen it sooner. The wolf that killed my husband was a second time rogue that had a horrible time of things and was completely unstable. I never should have concerned myself that you could even be remotely like that."  
  
"I could if I didn't take the wolfsbane potion." Remus said simply.  
  
Marlina shook her head again. "No, that's not what I meant. I mean the rest of the time." She said, clearly becoming more upset. "It's who you are the rest of the time that should matter."  
  
"Marlina....." Remus spoke her name.  
  
She finally lost it and started to cry. "Oh, Remus! I almost killed you! I never thought I could do it, but I was so scared." She sobbed. "I was afraid for Noah, and myself, and when I saw you standing that close to Lorien in the forest....... Remus, I didn't know about the wolfsbane potion." She buried her face in her hands, unable to face him.  
  
Remus wasn't sure what to do at that point, but the red haired witch was so obviously distraught at what she'd done, he couldn't help but want her to stop hurting. He put his hands on her arms. "Marlina, it's ok." He said.  
  
She continued to cry, and he tried again. "Marlie? Really. It's alright." He said, feeling the way she was shaking. He couldn't help himself as he watched her and he suddenly drew her to him and wrapped his arms around her protectively.  
  
Marlina buried her face against his chest and let him support her while she cried. "How can you be so understanding?" She cried after a moment, trying to pull away, feeling that she didn't deserve to be comforted by him, of all people.  
  
Remus wouldn't let go and held onto her gently, and spoke in a firm but kind voice. "Do you think that this is the first time that I've had to deal with this sort of thing?" He asked.  
  
Marlina sniffled once and looked back at him.  
  
Remus spoke again. "When you've been a werewolf as long as I have, you get to deal with a lot of people that are eager to see the lot of us done away with. You wouldn't be the only one that's tried to .......well..." He left it at that.  
  
Marlina had stopped crying a little and decided she was brave enough to delve deeper into his past. "How long have you been a werewolf, Remus?"  
  
"About thirty years." He stated it simply, as if someone had asked how long he'd been married.  
  
Marlina looked shocked. "That long?" She gasped. "No wonder you're so...." she searched for a way to put it delicately.  
  
"What? Well-adjusted?" He said with a wan smile. "Isn't that what the Registry calls it?"  
  
She nodded but wasn't able to return the smile just yet. "Remus, I need to ask you something that I probably don't have any right to ask you."  
  
"Ask." He said, still holding onto her arms. He knew what her question would be, and Snape's advice echoed in his mind. 'Come clean when you're ready to talk to her. You have nothing to lose.'  
  
Marlina looked away as she spoke. "Remus, have you ever hurt anyone?"  
  
Remus looked at her steadily. "Care to be more specific?"  
  
She didn't but she knew she had to. "Have you ever bitten anyone, Remus?"  
  
"No, Marlie. I never have." He saw the look of relief start to wash over her and as much as he would have liked to leave things there, he knew he couldn't. "Marlina, I don't want to give you the impression that I've been as......controlled for three decades as I am at present. You would probably be horrified to hear some of the VERY close calls that happened when I was younger."  
  
He watched her reactions carefully as he continued. "When I was a student, Sirius and my friends James and Peter all learned to become animagi so that we could roam together the night of the full moon. Most occasions the dog and the stag were enough to keep the wolf in check, but there were several times, near Hogsmeade.....Merlin! I don't know what we were ever thinking sometimes."  
  
Marlina answered softly. "You were young. All teenagers make the same reckless mistakes."  
  
"Not all teenagers make mistakes as a rampaging werewolf, Marlie." Remus said bitterly. "When I look back on how reckless I was at the time, it makes me shudder. Someone could have easily been injured, bitten or killed." Remus stared at the floor as he continued. "I never could have lived with myself if I'd ever bitten anyone." He said quietly. "I would have found execution a welcomed alternative to living with the guilt of killing someone or creating another......"  
  
"But you never have." Marlina said, trying to sound reassuring.  
  
Both of them were silent for a few moments, and then she asked another question that caused Remus to cringe.  
  
"What's it like, Remus?" She asked after gathering enough courage. "What's it like when the wolf takes over?" She asked as gently as possible. She didn't know how he would react to such an invasive question, but she needed to know what it was like for him.  
  
Remus sighed and leaned back against the desk again. "You know, you'd think after thirty years that I'd be used to it, but you never really quite get over the fear. It lessens with time, but it's always there at that first moment when the moon rises. When it begins." He said distantly.  
  
Marlina remained silent to let him continue.  
  
"It's not the transformation so much," he continued. "The pain is temporary, and I guess you could say that I'm used to dealing with that. The migraines before and after are awful, but...." He shrugged and then looked distant again, as if plagued by unpleasant memories. "What really gets to me, and gets to most of us, is the lack of control." He looked into her eyes at last. "You have no idea what it's like to be wrenched out of your own identity, your own form, and then brutally shoved into another involuntarily. Especially when you know that the other is out of control. A beast, a monster...." His voice trailed off.  
  
"You're not a monster." Marlina said in a choked whisper.  
  
Remus smiled the tiniest bit. "I know. But you have no idea how long it took me to be able to feel that way."  
  
He cleared his throat and went on. "It starts with the moon and then the fear comes. And then the pleading and the bargaining. You plead to whatever forces that be that you won't hurt anyone this time. You PRAY to whatever gods there are that you'll harm no one." Remus closed his eyes. "It's the same every month, year after year. You beg that nothing will happen because you know. You know once it happens that the wolf doesn't care, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it once the wolf comes."  
  
Marlina had tears in her eyes again as she listened. She had never heard the point of view she was hearing now, and had only speculated on how terrible being a werewolf might be, along with other members of the WCU. It was obviously worse than she, or any of them had ever thought.  
  
Remus remained there with his hands gripping her arms tightly and his eyes closed. "The last thing you remember is the worst." He said hoarsely. "That's when the desire comes - the desire for blood, the craving for human flesh. You hate them now. Loathe them. Want to hurt them. Want to hunt them." He sneered, and tears were in his own eyes as well when he opened them again. "And then the only relief comes." He murmured. "You lose your mind. I know that sounds terrible but it's a blessing at that point really. The wolf takes over completely and you remember nothing. Thank Merlin, you remember nothing...."  
  
Remus couldn't go on any further and Marlina could feel the slight tremble in the gentle hands on her arms. She moved closer and put her arms around him and held him for a long time, just wishing he could feel better. Wishing she could make it all go away for him. But she couldn't. Nothing could, well except that potion in a small way.  
  
"Tell me about the wolfsbane potion." She said, trying to steer him in a more positive direction.  
  
He didn't let go or move away, but spoke softly next to her. "It's incredible." He answered. "It makes it all so much more bearable. Hell, it's almost easy to go through once you know that you'll still be there on the other side. Once you know that you're safe - that is that everyone else is safe."  
  
Marlina spoke quietly again. "I never knew about the wolfsbane potion, Remus."  
  
"Why would you?" He asked, matter-of-factly.  
  
"Remus can you ever forgive me?" She asked, not meeting his eyes.  
  
"I already have." He said quietly near her ear.  
  
Marlina drew back and looked at him for a long moment, and then flung her arms tighter around his neck.  
  
Remus held her close and nestled his cheek down against her hair. He had indeed forgiven her. How could he not? Especially with the way he felt about her. He finally pushed her away very gently so that he could look at her again and smiled. "So, I have a question for you, Marlina Chase Perkins. Have you ever kissed a werewolf?" He wanted to lighten the situation, and his question echoed the game they'd played on Valentine's Day.  
  
She smiled back through her tears. "Been there, done that." She said with a dismissive waive of her hand. "But," she added. "I didn't know it at the time. Perhaps it's different if you knowingly kiss one?" She teased, and sniffled one last time.  
  
"Completely." Remus answered, pulling her back in and finally allowing himself to dare to feel better, knowing that they had made it through some of the worst things that they might have to overcome.  
  
"Well, let me be the judge of that." Marlina replied, and kissed Remus soundly on the mouth. "It is different," she said, unbelievably relieved that things had worked out the way they had. "It's much, much better." She smiled in earnest, and kissed him again, and again....  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaneene was smiling to herself all the way to Remus's rooms. She was about to knock on his door, when she realized that she was hearing someone whistling. The tune was coming from inside Lupin's chambers and she wondered if it was actually Remus. She knocked, and the whistling stopped. The door pulled open, and Remus stood in the doorway and smiled. "Why, Miss Moody, what a pleasure. To what do I owe the honor?" He asked cheerfully, allowing her to step into his rooms.  
  
Kaneene looked at him suspiciously. "What did the house elves put in your pumpkin juice, Lupin?" She asked. "And where can I get some?"  
  
"Pumpkin juice?" He asked.  
  
"You seen awfully chipper today." She said, and then it dawned on her. "You've made up with Marlina, haven't you?"  
  
"What would make you say that?" Remus asked, wearing a large grin.  
  
"Remus, I'm so glad." The auror said, giving him a quick hug.  
  
"Me too." He replied earnestly. "So, what can I do for you, Kaneene?"  
  
She smiled mischievously. "I have a gift for Sirius, and I need your help with it."  
  
"Really." Remus gave her his own devilish smile. "I'm intrigued. What is it?"  
  
Kaneene held up a T-shirt and Remus looked a little puzzled at the black outline of a Doberman pinscher until she explained what she wanted, and then he laughed out loud. "So this is for the party he's planning?" Remus asked.  
  
Kaneene smiled and nodded.  
  
"Ok. I think I know just the spell." Remus put the article of muggle clothing on the table and the two of them went to work.  
  
  
  
A short time later, Remus stood back and surveyed their handiwork with satisfaction as Kaneene displayed the altered writing. On the back of the shirt it said 'Hogwarts Security' in large letters, but it was the front of the shirt that had them smiling now.  
  
"I've got to see you give this to him." Remus said.  
  
"Shall we go now?" Kaneene asked.  
  
Remus and Kaneene walked across the hall and knocked on Black's door, entering when they heard him answer.  
  
Sirius looked up from his desk. "Well, if it isn't the werewolf Romeo and the loveliest auror in all of Britain." He quipped. "What are you two up to? I don't think I like the looks you're wearing."  
  
Kaneene put on a look of mock distress. "Now is that any way to treat friends? Especially when we've brought you a gift?"  
  
"Gift?" Sirius eyed them suspiciously.  
  
"Just a little something for your party." Answered Remus.  
  
"We made it ourselves." Kaneene added, and handed him the shirt.  
  
Sirius took it warily and then read the back, smiling.  
  
"Turn it around." Kaneene prodded.  
  
Sirius did so and then started laughing along with the two friends standing before him.  
  
In place of the black silhouette of the Doberman that had originally been there, was a silhouette of a large shaggy black dog that looked suspiciously like Padfoot. The caption now read "I can make it to the gate in 10 seconds. Can you?"  
  
Sirius looked up at them and grinned. "Actually, it only takes me eight."  
  
The three of them laughed even harder.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Everyone at Hogwarts was looking forward to the party on Friday night, and Remus decided to venture to Marlina's rooms earlier in the week to see if he could find out what she was wearing.  
  
Noah was overjoyed to see Remus and ran to give him a hug that he returned with just as much enthusiasm. Noah looked back at his mother, and spoke in a pleading voice. "Mom, do I still have to go to bed? Remus is here."  
  
Marlina nodded. "It's already past your time. You'll see Remus later."  
  
Noah pouted, standing there in his pajamas.  
  
"Here Noah. I'll make you a deal." Remus said. "You go to bed on time and I'll tell you a story," He winked at Marlina who smiled gratefully.  
  
"Ok, Remus." Noah said, brightening at the thought. He walked with Remus toward his bedroom as Remus began weaving a tale.  
  
"Once upon a time, there was a devastatingly handsome prince named Moony, and he lived in the far off land of Wolfsbane." He could see Marlina rolling her eyes as he continued. "Now in the land of Wolfsbane, there were two witches....."  
  
Noah frowned. "Prince? Witches? This isn't going to be a kissing story, is it?"  
  
Remus gave him a mock glare. "Hey, do you want to hear the story or not?"  
  
"Yeah." Noah replied.  
  
Remus continued. "Ahem. Well, as I was saying, there were two witches. One of them was an evil blonde witch that could turn herself into a dragon whenever she wanted. The other was a beautiful and kind witch with red hair that Prince Moony saw one day while he was out walking his faithful dog, Padfoot."  
  
Noah frowned again. "Prince Moony is going to kiss the witch with red hair, isn't he?"  
  
"Yes. At some point in the story he might kiss her." Remus said, amused at the boy's frustration.  
  
"Ick! Why?"  
  
"Because he likes her." Remus said.  
  
"'Cause she's a beautiful witch?" Noah asked, rolling his eyes.  
  
"I'll have you know that Prince Moony likes her because she happens to be a great dragon hunter." Remus said.  
  
Noah brightened. "Cool. Does she kill the witch that turns into a dragon?"  
  
"Who's telling this story, anyway?" Remus asked, hands on hips.  
  
Noah relented. "You are."  
  
"Ok. Come on and get in bed and I'll tell you what happens." Noah and Remus disappeared into the next room. "One day, Prince Moony was out in the woods near his castle....." His voice trailed off, and Marlina couldn't hear any more of the tale.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Remus emerged smiling.  
  
"Did you finish your story?" Marlina asked.  
  
"Well, the first chapter, anyway. It's to be continued at another bedtime." Remus replied.  
  
"Thanks for doing that." Marlina said, patting the couch next to her.  
  
Remus sat down and sighed. "It's really good to see him again. I missed him these past weeks."  
  
"And did you miss his mother?" Marlina asked, slyly.  
  
Remus scrunched up his face and shook his head. "Nuh uh. The nasty Slytherin witch tried to shoot my ass!"  
  
"Remus!" Marlina's mouth dropped open as she watched Remus laugh, and then she couldn't help but smile herself. "Speaking of which.....did you ever find out how the explosion started?"  
  
"No. I think Snape has got the composition worked out, but we don't know how it got in my rooms yet." Remus answered.  
  
Marlina snuggled up against him for a few minutes.  
  
"So, have you decided what you're wearing to the party? Remus asked, changing to a more pleasant subject.  
  
"Yes, and that's all I'm telling you." She said with an air of finality.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus and Sirius finished most of the preparations for the party in the great hall on Thursday night. They'd have a few last minute things to do tomorrow afternoon, but at this point the decorations and the sound system were in place and ready to go.  
  
Sirius grinned at Remus. "We need to test this, at least once."  
  
"You think we should?" Remus asked.  
  
"Definitely." Sirius picked up one of the flat silver disks that Hermione had shown him how to use, as Remus leaned over his shoulder.  
  
"What's that?" Remus asked.  
  
"90's Mix." Sirius replied, looking at the writing scrawled on the disk. "Odd name for a band." He popped the CD in place and spoke the charms that energized the sound system. Green LED lights now shone in the front of the CD player. "Ready?"  
  
Remus nodded, and Sirius hit the play button.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking back to the common room from the library where they'd been working on their homework for history of magic together.  
  
Ron was confused. "I still don't get it. I thought Binns said that The Red Witch was responsible for helping defeat the followers of Grindelwald."  
  
"Yeah, so?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, it doesn't seem likely that she'd be that much help against dark wizards if she was a just a student." Ron went on.  
  
Hermione shook her head. "Ron, don't you ever pay attention?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, I do." Said Ron, irritated. "Binns said that she was attending Hogwarts at the time, and I just didn't think...."  
  
Hermione cut him off. "You just didn't think, period." She sighed. "Binns said she was AT Hogwarts at the time, not attending Hogwarts."  
  
"What's the difference?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione adopted a slightly condescending attitude. "If you had finished reading the chapter, you would have realized that The Red Witch was teaching at Hogwarts at the time, Ron. Potions, I believe."  
  
"Shhhh!" Harry said, trying to shush his two friends. "Listen."  
  
Loud music could be heard coming from the direction of the great hall, and Harry grinned when he heard the first song. "Hey! They actually got it working." He said, turning and heading toward the music.  
  
The other two looked at each other for a minute, and then decided that they needed to investigate as well.  
  
  
  
When the trio of Gryffindors opened the doors, they found Lupin and Black hovering over the CD player, frantically trying to remember which button or knob turned the bloody volume down. They looked grateful when Harry appeared next to them and turned the appropriate knob from 11 to 5.  
  
"Thanks." They both said, thankful that half of the castle was no longer listening, and Harry schooled them once more in the basics of muggle sound equipment, as Hermione found herself caught up in the beat and starting to move a bit in time to the music.  
  
Sirius saw her out of the corner of his eye, and turned to her, grinning. "Miss Granger, would you?"  
  
He offered her his hand, and after tipping her head and studying him for a minute, she decided he was serious and accepted his invitation. 'This should be good,' she thought skeptically, but that changed almost immediately as he led her a few steps away and started to move. Really move.  
  
Hermione Granger had learned at least one interesting thing every day that she had been at Hogwarts, and today's lesson was that Sirius Black, her best friend's godfather, head of security, and former fugitive from justice, could actually dance.  
  
Hermione found herself laughing as Ron and Harry went wide-eyed where they stood next to Lupin, and threw herself into the music along with Sirius.  
  
"I never would have believed it," Harry said to Ron, grinning now from ear to ear. He and Ron laughed along with Hermione as Sirius wrapped her up in his arms and then dipped her. He set her right, then twirled her around, and sent her spinning a few paces away to Remus, who caught her up and dipped her himself as she screamed lightly, and then joined her and Sirius as the music continued.  
  
"I can't even believe I'm seeing this." Said Ron, watching the two men and Hermione cut loose on the dance floor together.  
  
"What?" Asked Remus. "Just because we're old, we can't know how to dance?"  
  
"You're not old." Harry said, still laughing a bit.  
  
"And don't you forget it." Said Sirius. He looked at Harry with a mock glare, and then brightened. "Come on, Harry, Ron." He beckoned them to join himself and the other two.  
  
"Um, no." Harry said, immediately declining. Ron shook his head vigorously next to Harry.  
  
"Oh, come ON." Sirius said, suddenly stopping. "Have a little fun, will you?"  
  
"Not my idea of fun." Harry said sheepishly.  
  
"Those two can't dance." Hermione said from where she was still dancing with Remus, who suddenly stopped and looked at Sirius.  
  
"What?" Sirius asked incredulously. "James Potter's son not dance?" He huffed in disbelief. "Well, we'll just have to see about that."  
  
Harry didn't think he liked where this was going. "My....my father could dance?" He asked, glancing sideways at a horrified-where-this-is-going- because-they'll make-me-do-it-too Ron.  
  
"You bet." Said Remus. "Loved nothing better at a celebration after a Quidditch victory." He said with a chuckle. "At least after Lily made him learn." He was now wearing what looked like the same sadistic grin that Hermione and Sirius were wearing.  
  
With Hermione's insistent prodding, and Sirius's intense stubbornness, Harry and Ron found themselves spending the next hour, like it or not, learning to dance.  
  
"That's much better you two." Sirius commented when it had finally gotten to the point that the boys weren't embarrassed anymore and were now just having fun. "Now, you'll be cool fifth years at the party tomorrow."  
  
"Is that when you two became cool?" Harry asked Sirius and Remus slyly.  
  
"Sorry?" Asked Remus. He looked at Sirius. "Do you know what he's talking about?"  
  
"No idea." Muttered Sirius.  
  
"When you were fifth years! Is that when you two finally started to be cool?" Ron asked, trying to clarify the question.  
  
"I believe that we ARRIVED cool." Said Sirius with a grin as Remus nodded and laughed. "Well," he added with a sly grin, "at least one of us anyway."  
  
Hermione giggled at Remus who was standing behind Sirius pointing to himself and winking at Ron and Harry.  
  
The music changed again, and a slinky bassline with a funky backbeat started up. "One more?" Asked Sirius, and the three students laughed as the five of them held their own small party for one more song.  
  
Harry was at the point of not caring if he looked silly, and was thankful for being able to see his godfather and best friend actually have the chance to cut up and have a little fun. It was good for them, and it gave him a glimpse into what things must have been like to pal around with his parents.  
  
He watched Ron laughing with Hermione, and deciding that he liked the funky, sexy jazz they were dancing to, lost himself on the dance floor with all of his best friends for a few more minutes.  
  
When the three younger Gryffindors had thanked their instructors for the evening with large silly grins, and had gone off to bed, Sirius pulled the disc out and undid the charm on the CD player. He turned to Remus as he reached for the case for the silver disk. "Well, that was fun."  
  
Remus smiled at him. "Remind you of old times?"  
  
"Yeah." Sirius admitted, sliding the disk in the case. His expression suddenly became very sober. "I miss them, Moony."  
  
"I know." Remus said softly. "I miss them, too."  
  
Neither said anything for a couple of minutes and then Remus spoke up again. "Come on, Padfoot. It's late." He jerked his head a little toward the door.  
  
"Let me just put this away." Sirius glanced down at the plastic case as he headed for the table where the rest of the CD's sat, and stopped in his tracks as he read it.  
  
"What?" Remus asked, coming to his side to look over his shoulder.  
  
"Last song." Sirius said softly.  
  
Remus read the name, and after a few seconds looked up at Sirius and smiled sadly. "I don't doubt it." He said, placing a hand on Sirius's arm. "Come on." He said softly.  
  
Sirius turned to leave with Remus after glancing once more at the writing on the jewel case, thinking how appropriate it was that all of them could have been together without a care in the world for a few minutes, dancing to a song called "Lily was here."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: 'Lily was here' is a real piece of music that I was listening to one day, and it inspired the dance lesson with Remus and Sirius. Even if you didn't know what it was called, you've probably heard it before. It's by David A. Stewart and Candy Dulfer.  
  
And of course, the bedtime story was my small salute to The Princess Bride for my sister, Karen.  
  
Next chapter - PARTY AT HOGWARTS!!! 


	27. Fred the Marauder

Happy New Year to all! Sorry about the delay in posting a new chapter. Uncharacteristic of me I know, but hopefully now that the holidays are over I'll have more time again to write.  
  
You'll hopefully forgive me if the chapters are a little further apart since I've recently started seeing someone after a year away from the dating scene. (No, I don't mean Severus.) He's tall, cute, has amazing hazel-green eyes, and is an absolute gentleman. He hasn't read Harry Potter, but don't you fret - if I can make Snape fans out of Gryffindors, I can make an HP fan out of someone that already likes children's books! I'll keep you guys posted. ;)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Fred the Marauder ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
The night of the party at Hogwarts was a dark one, as the moon was waning close to its lowest point, and deep clouds that threatened rain were moving across the sky.  
  
Inside the castle, students and staff alike were getting ready to make their way to the great hall where everything had been put in place for the evening's festivities.  
  
Hermione looked quite natural in the jeans and green t-shirt that she chose to wear for the event, and she smiled as she saw Harry and Ron come down from the boys dormitory, dressed for the occasion. It wasn't so odd seeing Harry dressed the way he was, but Ron? She smiled to herself as she looked him over. He was wearing jeans and a muggle t-shirt that read 'Who are you, and why are you reading my shirt?'  
  
His brothers followed not long after, both wearing outrageous tie-dye shirts that clashed with their red hair. They looked like the cat that had eaten the proverbial canary, and Hermione knew that they intended to go through with whatever mischief they intended to manage tonight.  
  
Harry approached her as Ron stopped to huddle in the corner with his two older siblings for a moment. "You look nice," he commented reading her shirt. He smiled as he read the Latin across the front. 'Quot Libros. Quam Breve Tempus.'  
  
"Thanks." She said, knowing that this shade of green agreed with her coloring. "So do you." She said wryly.  
  
Harry grinned and looked down at his attire. He wore jeans and an old t-shirt that Hermione had helped him to come up with. It was red with a large yellow lightening bolt down the center. He didn't have any trouble poking a little fun at himself, and he was sure that it was going to be a good one for irritating the likes of Malfoy and Snape.  
  
Ron joined them. "They're going through with it tonight." He announced with a backwards glance at Fred and George. "Hey, 'Mione. You look great. Just like a muggle in fact." Ron grinned.  
  
"I consider that a compliment." She said, but smiled back at her friend. "Shall we go?" She asked her male companions. They nodded and she walked out of the common room arm in arm with each of them. This was going to be an interesting evening, she was sure.  
  
  
  
  
  
As the three of them neared the great hall along with many of the other students, muffled music could be heard, and Hermione heard it suddenly blare louder as they opened the doors and walked into the large room. Half of the staff and student body were already there and she busied herself looking around to see what everyone was wearing.  
  
The students were amusing in their attempts at muggle dress, but it was Professor McGonagall that caught Hermione's eye first, and she tugged on Ron's sleeve and nodded toward their head of house. "Look at McGonagall!" She whispered.  
  
Ron looked where she had indicated and had all he could do not to let his mouth fall open. The Deputy headmistress had left behind her heavy robes and traditional witch's hat and was wearing a simple red linen dress that came to just below her knees. She was wearing heels, and her hair was in a soft elegant updo that was a wide departure form the bun she customarily wore under her hat. The only telltale remnant left of her witch's wardrobe was the lion-crested brooch that she now wore on the dress.  
  
"She's wearing make up!" Hermione whispered.  
  
"She actually looks great." Harry commented, just as surprised as the other two.  
  
"It's not polite to stare." An amused female voice whispered, just behind Harry and Hermione. They turned to see who had spoken, and their eyes went even wider when they realized the woman in the cowboy hat was the Nemorosi healer. She was wearing dark gray suede - a mini skirt and fringed vest that matched the color of the hat, and low boots. "Professor McGonagall looks lovely, don't you think?" Lorien asked.  
  
"Unexpectedly so." Hermione answered as she started to smile. "It's not what I would have pictured her in." She said pointedly, looking at Lorien's attire.  
  
Lorien took her meaning and shrugged. She smiled. "It's boring being predictable, don't you agree, Miss Granger?"  
  
Hermione returned the smile.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A short distance away, George Weasley was trying to steady his brother after Fred, who still had a crush on the medical witch, had seen the length of the skirt she was wearing. It wasn't that it was inappropriately short, it was just that it was such a departure from traditional witch's long robes.  
  
Fred wasn't the only one that had seen what Lorien was wearing, and it was only a moment before Sirius and Remus made their way over to speak with her. Sirius was wearing black jeans and the shirt that Kaneene gave him, and Lorien and the three teenage Gryffindors began to laugh as they read the words. Remus was wearing faded jeans and a red shirt with large white flowers on it.  
  
"That shirt is perfect, Sirius." Lorien commented.  
  
He grinned. "K made it for me with a little help from Remus here."  
  
"Is she coming to the party?" Lorien asked.  
  
"Later, when she gets off duty." Sirius replied.  
  
Remus spoke up with a gleam in his eye. "Nice hat."  
  
Lorien pouted playfully.  
  
"Actually, you look great," he said, and she smiled in thanks at him.  
  
"You don't look so bad yourself, Professor." Hermione said impishly. "You've got a bit of a Magnum, PI thing going on there." She said appreciatively, looking at the Hawaiian shirt he was wearing.  
  
"A what?" He asked.  
  
"Nevermind." She said, rolling her eyes a little.  
  
Remus spotted Marlina, and excused himself from the group, and both Hermione and Lorien noted as he walked away that the jeans he was wearing didn't look all that bad on his recently burned anatomy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina was looking around the room that was rapidly becoming full as more students arrived, and she finally saw Remus approaching her from where he had left Sirius and Lorien. She smiled shyly at him from under her favorite hat, wondering what he would think about what she was wearing. In addition to the safari hat she usually wore, Marlie was wearing khaki as usual, but a lot less of it. She wore a camp shirt and khaki shorts with short wool socks and boots, looking like she just stepped out of an old Tarzan movie.  
  
Remus looked her over as he neared, and swallowing hard, decided that if she was going to spend very much time dressed like that around him, he was going to have to send her to the library to read a back issue of JAMWW. "You look fantastic." He said, placing a hand on her arm as he stepped close.  
  
"Thanks. You look pretty good too." She was blushing a little as she noticed the way he was looking at her. Not that she minded.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius had put Colin and Seamus in charge of the music, and it wasn't long before groups of students, especially the sixth and seventh years were out dancing in the middle of the room. Sirius looked past them and noted that a large Slytherin contingent had arrived with Draco Malfoy, many of them wearing black t-shirts with muggle heavy metal band insignia on them. He picked Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy out of the group and made a mental note to keep track of them. He didn't want them causing any trouble at the party.  
  
Sirius also had reminded himself to try to keep track of Fred and George tonight. If he were in their place, this would be the perfect night to pull some sort of stunt. He smiled at a few humorous memories and turned back to Lorien, who was watching the door to the room. "Come on, Nature Girl." He said, taking the hat off her head and placing it on his own. He took her by the hand and led her through the students.  
  
"What are we doing?" She asked.  
  
"You're going to dance with me." He said, smiling impishly, and noted the look of reluctance she was wearing. "Oh, come on. You're staff, and you need to set a good example for the students." He teased her.  
  
She sighed. "Alright, if you insist, Jailbird." She laughed when he made a face at her and then joined him in the group of dancing students.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape walked rapidly down the corridor toward the great hall, muttering under his breath the whole way. "Can't believe this....absolutely absurd....what I have to go through.....never should have agreed...."  
  
He opened the door to the great hall and was assaulted by the loud music and sounds of conversation and laughter. He took a deep breath and stepped into the room, and surveyed the scene before him. Students were mingling everywhere, eating pizza, talking and dancing. He spotted Dumbledore part way across the room and squinted a bit to determine who he was talking to. Damn. Was that Minerva? He didn't think she would actually do it. By the way she was looking at him while he walked up to where she was speaking with the headmaster, she evidently was thinking the same thing about him.  
  
"Albus. Minerva." He acknowledged the pair. Dumbledore was wearing khakis and a red polo shirt with the Hogwarts crest embroidered on one side.  
  
"Ah, Severus." Said the headmaster. "So glad you've joined the festivities."  
  
"I wouldn't miss it." Snape replied facetiously.  
  
McGonagall was obviously amused as she looked him over. "Severus, obsidian instead of ebony tonight?"  
  
Snape frowned at her. She was making light of the fact that he was wearing black? What did she expect? Fuschia?  
  
McGonagall continued. "Seriously Severus. You look very muggle. Very.... chic."  
  
Snape's eyes glittered dangerously as he considered McGonagall's comments. Compliment or insult? Probably both knowing Minerva. He was about to offer up a scathing retort and then decided to change tactics. "Thank you." He said graciously, moving to stand close to the older witch. "And you, Minerva. You look lovely tonight in that muggle dress. I honestly didn't know you had it in you."  
  
He'd excused himself by the time McGonagall started to wonder if he'd meant that he didn't know she had it in her to dress muggle or to look lovely. She frowned as she realized she'd probably have to give that round to Severus.  
  
Ignoring the way students kept glancing at him as he passed, Snape found a vantage point that he could survey most of the room from, and started down his mental checklist of 'People To Keep Track Of' for the evening. Potter, Granger, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle...he ticked each one off in his head as he noted their whereabouts.  
  
When he was satisfied that he'd accounted for all the students he needed to, he set about searching for the staff members that he wanted to keep an eye on. Well, staff member. He found her and then did a double take and frowned. He didn't like what he saw at all. Not only was Lorien wearing something that revealed a lot more than her normal witch's robes did, (not that in private he'd mind) but Sirius Black had his hands on her hips as she danced with him, and he could see she was obviously enjoying herself as she moved with Black in a way that caused Snape to grit his teeth.  
  
'Friends.....they're just friends.' Snape reminded himself. He knew it to be so, and besides, didn't Black have his eye on that auror? He had to make a conscious effort to stop drumming his fingers against his elbow when he'd folded his arms.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The music changed and Lorien finished dancing with Sirius. She was laughing with him when she finally saw that Severus had arrived in the great hall, and she smiled, trying to hide her surprise at seeing him dressed in other than his favored black robes. He was wearing black from head to toe of course, but tonight it was tailored Armani and Lorien amusedly thought to herself that even when it came to muggle clothes, the man had expensive taste.  
  
She excused herself from the dance floor. "I'll catch up with you later." She said, leaning close to Sirius so that he could hear her.  
  
Sirius looked momentarily puzzled and then followed Lorien's gaze to where Snape was standing near the wall. It amused him to catch the displeased expression the Head of Slytherin was wearing for a moment, and he shook his head as he thought to himself for the thousandth time that his Nemorosi friend had the oddest taste in male companions. He watched Snape watch Lorien intently as she walked toward him and then decided grudgingly that the man didn't look half bad in those clothes. He shrugged and decided to make sure he knew where the Weasley twins were.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien made it through the throng and stood next to Snape, speaking to him but not looking at him as they kept an eye on the student body. "I see you finally made it." She said.  
  
"Of course." He said from where he was standing next to her, also not looking at her as he noted where Potter and Weasley were.  
  
She smiled to herself. "Severus, you look very....."  
  
"If you say chic, Lorien, you're dead." He said as he bristled.  
  
She smiled without looking at him again, and leaned sideways to speak quietly to him. "I was about to say 'cool'." She informed him.  
  
"Oh." He said quietly, and relaxed visibly. He spotted Malfoy across the room, and then spoke to her again. "Do you think that skirt is short enough?" He asked, scanning the room until he found the Weasley twins.  
  
She moved just enough to the side to brush against him and spoke softly. "I suppose the real question is, 'do you?'" She looked his way.  
  
He finally looked at her, and although his expression remained neutral, she could hear the amusement in his voice. "Not by half." He answered as his eyes locked on hers. "That is, if you weren't parading around in the great hall."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I am not parading, Professor."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
"Look, if you'd rather not be seen with me." She teased.  
  
"Stop being ridiculous." He scolded softly.  
  
"Fine, then ask me to dance." She issued it as a challenge.  
  
Snape faced her and stepped so close that Lorien swore he was going to kiss her there in the crowded room. He spoke in a low voice. "What I would like to do, and what I will do this evening, are entirely two different things, Lorien. Is that clear?"  
  
"Perfectly." She looked away, a little hurt.  
  
"Besides," Snape continued, "you apparently already have a dance partner."  
  
Lorien groaned inwardly. Was he really going to start all that Sirius Black nonsense again? "Severus, Sirius was only.." She stopped when she saw him shake his head and look past her again, indicating she should look as well. Did he find something funny? She turned in time to see a very determined looking Fred Weasley walking her way. Lorien looked quickly back at Severus and gave him a panicked look.  
  
"I suggest you accept Mr. Weasley's invitation." He said with amusement. "He should be rewarded for that Gryffindor courage of his, don't you think?" Severus said wryly. He knew that it was known in Potter's circle of friends that the Nemorosi witch was....well, his.  
  
"Excuse me, Mistress Lorien?" Fred had arrived. "Would you care to dance?" He glanced a little nervously at Snape, who feigned indifference and went back to his surveillance.  
  
She smiled warmly at the red haired teenager. "Of course, Fred." She took his proffered arm, and Snape watched them go to the dance floor.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Across the room, Sirius and Remus were amusing themselves watching the younger Gryffindor walk up to Lorien right in front of Snape and take her to the dance floor.  
  
"Kid's got guts." Sirius commented.  
  
"I'll say." Said Remus.  
  
They watched for a few moments to see if Snape reacted, but apparently the black clad Slytherin was as amused as they were.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien placed one hand on Fred's shoulder and felt his hand close tentatively on her other. His free hand he put on her waist, and she swore that the boy's hand was shaking. "There's no need to be nervous." She whispered kindly. "You're doing fine."  
  
"Really?" He asked.  
  
"Definitely. She said.  
  
Fred smiled at her and confidently pulled her closer, not shaking in the least. "I'm glad you think so." He said, and Lorien thought she heard a bit of mischief in his voice.  
  
"You weren't really nervous at all, were you?" She asked, accusing him with a smile.  
  
"Nah. Just thought I ought to make it look good in front of Mr. Suave Slytherin over there." He quipped.  
  
Lorien snickered and then rapidly composed herself. "Fred, please, a little respect. He's your professor." She said, trying to scold him a little as they danced.  
  
"Ok. Professor Suave Slytherin it is." He agreed.  
  
Lorien couldn't help but laugh again as Fred swept her around the floor.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
George, Harry and Ron had made it out of the great hall and were heading to the rendezvous point where they would meet Fred in a few minutes not far from the Astronomy tower.  
  
George shook his head as he ran. "Can't believe he pulled it off."  
  
"Who, Fred?" Ron asked his brother.  
  
"Yeah. She actually agreed to dance with him, can you believe it?" George asked.  
  
"You knew she would." Harry huffed alongside as they ran.  
  
"Yeah, I did. So did Fred. He's a bloody genius for coming up with that diversion. Had Snape's and Black's attention just long enough." George snickered appreciatively at his brother's manipulation of the situation.  
  
"Just long enough for us to get by them." Ron agreed, slightly in awe of his older brother's audacity. He grinned at Harry, who grinned back.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
By the time Lorien was thanking Fred for the dance, Sirius was looking around in a more determined fashion for George Weasley. He didn't see him anywhere.  
  
At the same time, across the room, Severus had found that he'd lost track of Harry and Ron, and he became more concerned when he saw the way Black was obviously scanning the crowd. He strode quickly through the heart of the party and up to Black. "Who's missing?" He asked quickly.  
  
"Can't find George Weasley." Sirius replied.  
  
"Potter and the younger Weasley are missing as well." Snape informed him, awaiting his reaction.  
  
"It's probably nothing." Sirius said. "Fred is still here, and they wouldn't.." He stopped what he was saying and looked around. Now he'd lost Fred. "Not good." He said, shaking his head.  
  
Snape thought it over for a moment. How did they both lose track of four people? Then it dawned on him as it apparently dawned on Black. The Weasleys had created a subtle diversion. He decided to check up on Malfoy once more, and felt relieved when he saw Crabbe and Goyle out of the corner of his eye. He turned to Black. "Shall we split up and look for them before they....." Snape whirled around again, realizing that he'd only seen Crabbe and Goyle. Sure enough, there was no sigh of Malfoy.  
  
"Damn!" Snape swore as he faced Black. "Malfoy is missing as well."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: For those of you who aren't fluent in Latin, Hermione's shirt says 'So many books, so little time.' And of course, Harry's shirt is like those old Captain Marvel t-shirts that used to be around. (Shazam!)  
  
For those of you that are Ginny/Harry shippers, I recommend a little WIP by JennaMae. It's called Miss Hogwarts, and in it the Gryffs talk Harry into entering a beauty contest in drag to raise money for an orphanage. It's cute and funny and her take on Ginny is very good. http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1106424&chapter=1  
  
Next chapter we liven things up a little...or maybe a lot. 


	28. Livening Up the Party

Hey gang! I'm a little slow these days at getting up a new chapter, but I'll eventually get there. It may take me a little longer to finish this story, but don't worry, I have no plans to abandon it. I have way too many plans for our group of wizards and witches. ;)  
  
Scott, the guy I'm seeing, now has Sorcerer's Stone in hand to read on his next business trip. I'm willing to bet that he'll be hooked inside of a week!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Livening up the Party ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Hermione knew that Harry and Ron were going to go with Fred and George, she just didn't know when. The two friends just couldn't resist tagging along with the twins this time to see what they were up to. She hadn't really given much thought to the matter after she'd arrived at the party, as she figured Sirius would probably keep an eye on the two brothers, and they'd probably never get past him. She should have given them more credit.  
  
She might have paid a little more attention to the three boys sneaking out of the great hall while Fred asked Lorien to dance, but it was at that particular moment while she was standing and talking with Ginny that she received her own invitation.  
  
"Excuse me."  
  
Was someone talking to her? Hermione looked to her left. Standing there looking back at her was the youngest of the Moodys. "I'm sorry. Were you speaking to me?" She asked him.  
  
Keath nodded. "You're Hermione, right?"  
  
"Yes." She said.  
  
He gave her a winning smile. "Keath." He offered her his hand which she shook. 'I was wondering, Hermione," he said as he leaned closer so she could hear him over the noise, "would you care to dance?"  
  
Hermione stood there speechless for just a moment as the young auror waited. "Of...of course." She finally replied and then took the arm he offered her. She glanced back at Ginny as she walked away, and the youngest Weasley was grinning at her from ear to ear. She gave Hermione a thumb's up and Hermione rolled her eyes before she turned around.  
  
When she started dancing with Keath Moody, Hermione wasn't sure what they would talk about, but she decided to break the ice with an obvious question. "So, you're Kaneene's brother?" She asked.  
  
"Yes." He replied.  
  
"Are you all from the same family?" Hermione asked next.  
  
He laughed. "Not at all. The other four are my cousins."  
  
"Oh." She said.  
  
"Do you have any siblings?" He asked her.  
  
"No. I'm an only child." Hermione answered. "It must be nice having a sister and cousins that you're close to."  
  
"Most of the time." He said, and then smiled. "It can be difficult being the youngest sometimes. They all feel like they have to look out for me."  
  
Hermione nodded understandingly. She knew that Keath had been a seventh year when she started at Hogwarts, and that his sister was quite a bit older. She continued the conversation. "So, you've been an auror for what, two years now?"  
  
"Almost." He answered.  
  
"Do you like it?" Hermione asked curiously.  
  
Keath nodded once. "Definitely. I can't imagine doing anything else at this point."  
  
"You were at the Ministry at Halloween, weren't you?" She asked.  
  
His manner became a little more subdued. "Yes."  
  
"I'm sorry." Hermione added. "Was it something I said?"  
  
"No. It's just that I don't have very pleasant memories of that night." He said.  
  
"I imagine a lot of people don't." Hermione replied, still concerned about what had changed Keath's demeanor. She risked another question. "Did something happen?"  
  
He nodded. "Let's just say I don't want to cut it any closer than I did that night."  
  
Hermione's eyes went wide. "You were injured?"  
  
"Nearly died." He said, trying to sound casual.  
  
"Really? What happened?" Hermione asked, hoping she wasn't being rude by asking. He didn't seem to mind.  
  
"I made a pretty big mistake." Keath admitted.  
  
Hermione was impressed that he'd admit such a thing.  
  
"I tried to go after Lucius Malfoy by myself." He said.  
  
Hermione was even more impressed. "Malfoy?" She nearly spat the name. "Let me tell you that I'm no fan of his either."  
  
"That whole family is nothing but trouble." Keath replied.  
  
Hermione laughed as they continued to dance. "Tell me something I don't know."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Fred caught up with Ron, Harry and George, and the foursome headed for the Astronomy tower.  
  
"Any trouble getting out?" George asked his twin.  
  
"Nah. It was cake." Fred answered. "They were too busy looking for you three gits to notice me leaving."  
  
"How long do you think we have?" Ron asked, trying to sound like he really wasn't all that concerned.  
  
Fred shrugged. "Don't know, little brother. We have what we have."  
  
"You realize that once we get to the tower, we could be cornered." Harry said.  
  
"Maybe." Said George with a grin. "So, let's make it worth the detentions."  
  
Harry and Ron looked at each other as they ran up the long flight of stairs. They both were beginning to wonder if this had been such a good idea.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Draco Malfoy found that he was indebted to a group of Gryffindors for the first time in his life. The little stunt pulled by the Weasleys and Potter drew just enough attention from Snape that Draco was able to slip out of the great hall unnoticed. He knew that he probably only had a few minutes before his head of house started to miss his presence at the party, but that was all he really needed.  
  
He was more than a little nervous, but he was anxious to complete his part in the evening's events. His crucial part. Draco smiled since he was quite pleased with himself, and ran onward to the third floor.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius Black and Severus Snape were standing in the corridor outside the great hall agreeing with each other. Not something that happened every day.  
  
"I'm sure they're up to no good." Black was saying. "I just wish I knew where." He was also wishing that he knew where Kaneene was, because right now would be a good time to break out the map.  
  
"I have some concerns about Malfoy as well." Snape said. "Perhaps we'd best start where we think they would most likely be."  
  
Black nodded and the two split up to begin their search. He headed for the kitchen first as Snape headed for the dungeon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hermione had finished dancing with Keath Moody but had found the young auror to be interesting company, and they continued their conversation for the next few songs.  
  
Finally tired of practically yelling at Hermione to make himself heard above the music, Keath told her to stay where she was and walked away for a moment.  
  
Hermione could see that the he went a short distance away and spoke with Professor McGonagall, and the woman appeared to be listening intently. Hermione saw her nod at Keath, and then he was walking back toward her, smiling. "Want to get out of the noise for a bit?" He asked.  
  
"I'd love to but..." She glance in McGonagall's direction.  
  
"I've got permission for you to leave the hall as long as we don't go far, and IF you stay in the company of an auror escort." Keath said, winking at her.  
  
Hermione felt her face growing warm. She had already taken a liking to Keath, and she definitely wanted to continue her conversation with him. She decided it might be nice to get out of the noisy hall for a while and she agreed to go with him. They headed out into the corridor and walked along as he told her more about his adventures with his sister and his cousins.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Fred, George, Harry and Ron finally made it to the top of the stairs and pushed open the door that led to the observation platform. It wasn't raining yet, but the sky was blanketed in heavy dark clouds that all but obscured the small amount of moonlight.  
  
George surveyed the night sky. "Perfect." He commented. "Simply perfect." He turned to where Fred was holding the small bag they'd retrieved from the stairwell where they had stashed it just before the party. "Gentlemen, are we ready?" He asked solemnly.  
  
Fred nodded. Harry and Ron glanced at each other and shrugged. They nodded as well.  
  
"Very well. Fred, if you would?" George said.  
  
Fred smiled and reached into the bag, and proceeded to present each of them with a small silver orb. He took one himself. "George and I will go first, then you two." He and George stepped closer to the wall. "Watch."  
  
The twins each spoke the lighting charm and rocketed their orbs far out into the night sky, one slightly ahead of the other. It was only a few seconds before the darkness was lit up by the brilliant burst of light and the quiet was disrupted by the explosion that accompanied it. A second followed, and the light continued to change as the intricate display went on for the next thirty seconds.  
  
Harry and Ron each launched their orbs as well, and stood back to admire the handiwork of the twins. They were caught up watching the spectacle when they became aware of Fred standing there grinning at them. "Care for another round?" He asked, and handed each one of them a new orb. This time Ron's was green and Harry's was red.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Weasley twins knew the fascinating thing about the ceiling in the great hall was that it was charmed with a powerful spell to reflect whatever was going on in the sky above Hogwarts. If the sun was shining, it shone indoors, and if the day were snowy, flakes appeared on the backdrop of the roof. If the moon were full, one could see it in the great hall, and if someone hurled fireworks off the astronomy tower, well, they'd be visible too.  
  
That became apparent to all the partygoers still present in the great hall, and it was only a moment before every last occupant of the room had their head turned upward, watching the light show. Students laughed and pointed and everyone oohed and aahed as each pattern made itself into another more beautiful than the last.  
  
McGonagall's mouth dropped open in horror, Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement, and Remus Lupin smiled appreciatively as he watched the light show. So far it looked at though it was going to be Weasley twins - 1 and Sirius Black - 0. Of course that all depended on whether they got caught or not, he reminded himself.  
  
Two more explosions were folding in on themselves and reforming into flowering light, but as the final one began to fade, a large green burst of light took it's place. This one was different from the others, and after a moment, large green lettering filled the sky. Remus had to bite his lip as he stood next to Marlina so he didn't actually laugh out loud.  
  
'SLYTHERINS DROOL' was painted across the darkness.  
  
After about thirty seconds it was replaced by another explosion. This one was red.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry and Ron turned and gave each other an enthusiastic high five as the final explosion rocked the night. Fred and George stood next to them silently with their hands over their hearts as the final message appeared.  
  
'GRYFFINDORS RULE' was now emblazoned across the sky.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
There were only a few people that didn't see the view of the fireworks from the great hall, and Draco Malfoy was one of them. It was probably just as well. The green explosion would have only served to make him hate the Gryffindors more.  
  
He'd made it to the third floor and trotted up to the statue of the one-eyed witch, pausing and leaning on her just long enough to catch a bit of breath. He looked around to make sure that he hadn't been followed, and satisfied that he'd made it there alone, allowed himself a self- congratulatory smile.  
  
"This is where things get interesting," he told the old crone, and he stepped forward to speak the single word that would open the passage. "Dissendium." He said triumphantly, and he stepped into the nearby classroom and locked the door, as the opening to the secret tunnel slid into view.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hermione and Keath heard the first explosion in the distance, and immediately became curious. As they backtracked toward the great hall, they could tell that laughter had replaced the music and also that the explosions themselves were coming from the other direction.  
  
Keath opened the door and poked his head inside long enough to determine what was happening and then quickly turned around. "Come on." He said, leading Hermione away from the great hall.  
  
She followed him as he led her to the doors to the outside and hesitated as he opened one. "Do you think that's wise?" She asked.  
  
"We'll just step outside." He said. "I promise we won't go far."  
  
They stepped outside and moved just far enough away from the castle that they had a better view of what was happening. Keath spoke up as he watched the next silvery white display unfold. "Someone is going to be in a lot of trouble." He said.  
  
Hermione noted that he was smiling when he spoke, and looked at the astronomy tower. "Unfortunately, I know just who those someones are."  
  
Keath looked at her questioningly, and saw her reluctance to tell him. He laughed. "Oh, you can tell me, Hermione. I am off duty you know." He gave her a disarmingly charming smile and then spoke again. "I'd be willing to bet a fair amount that there's got to be at least one Weasley involved."  
  
"Three." Hermione said, finally smiling herself. "Three Weasleys and a Potter."  
  
Keath patted her arm. "Don't worry. I won't tell a soul about your friends."  
  
They looked up once more in time to see the green explosion rip across the night.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Well, I think that's about all the excitement I need for the evening." Dumbledore said to McGonagall, and turned to leave the great hall.  
  
"Albus! Surely this can't be let go." McGonagall sounded flustered.  
  
"Minerva, I suggest you enjoy the rest of the party. Sirius will deal with the problem, I am sure." Dumbledore smiled as he saw the look the deputy headmistress was wearing. "Relax. It could have been a lot worse knowing those two."  
  
McGonagall had to admit Dumbledore was right.  
  
"Now, if you'll excuse me, Professor, I believe the back of my eyelids are in want of close examination." He patted her arm and left.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
On the third floor of Hogwarts, all was quiet for a few minutes after the hump-backed crone revealed her secret, but that didn't last very long. Draco was curious for sure, but he knew better than to open the door he was locked behind as he heard the curious snuffling and scratching sounds coming from nearby.  
  
Something was climbing up the passageway.  
  
  
  
  
  
The short fur covered creature made it to the opening, and stood there for a moment sniffing the air. She was hungry as she'd been kept from eating for two days, and the smell of pizza in the distance bore the promise of making the nagging sensation in her stomach go away. She followed her nose down the hall and paused once again to sniff and determine the direction of the smell, and then headed down the stairs.  
  
Anyone that saw the small monkey-like creature moving along the staircase might have at first thought she was cute, that is until closer inspection revealed razor- sharp teeth and just as sharp claws. Claws coated with dried saliva from grooming. Claws coated with slow but deadly poison.  
  
The female mangabey continued in the direction of the great hall.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape was frustrated as he completed his search of the Slytherin dorms and common room, and had found no sign of the younger Malfoy. He knew that Draco was up to something. He had a nagging feeling about it, and when he got that feeling, well, it usually wasn't a good thing.  
  
He walked quickly out of the dungeon, retracing his steps, and wondering if Black had had any better success at finding those annoying Weasleys.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius checked a few of the nearby closets and classrooms, just in case, on his way to the kitchen. He found nothing and continued on until he reached the painting of fruit, wondering if the boys would actually go there first. It was a favorite haunt of his in his younger days, it was true, but he had a feeling that what motivated the twins was something other than a sweet tooth.  
  
He decided that he might as well check the kitchen while he was there, and he tickled the pear and stepped through as the painting swung open. He didn't find anyone but a group of mildly surprised house elves, and Sirius suddenly found himself detained from rejoining the search by house elves chattering at him from all directions and trying to send him with chocolate chip cookies.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Marlina was fuming after she read the green slogan pasted across the ceiling sky of the great hall, partly because of what it said, and partly because she could tell that Remus was more than a little amused.  
  
"I suppose you think that's funny." She said to him, after the last red message appeared in the sky.  
  
"Appalling." Remus said with mock sincerity.  
  
"You know, Slytherins have feelings too." She said, pouting.  
  
"Really?" He asked.  
  
She would have been angry if it weren't for the way he was looking at her when he spoke.  
  
"As a representative of the house of Salazar, would you care to share some of yours with me?" He asked slyly.  
  
"Perhaps." She smiled a little and looked away. "But not here."  
  
Remus took her by the elbow and led her to the door.  
  
"Remus, we have to keep an eye on things here." She protested weakly.  
  
"We'll only be gone for a minute." He whispered, leading her out into the hall where he intended to kiss her away from the scrutiny of the staff and student body. He would have done so if the two of them hadn't been so shocked by the sight of the small creature a short distance away that looked just as surprised to see them. 


	29. Poison

Greetings from absurdly cold Maine! I love my state, and the change of the seasons, but I am not a winter person and this two week spell of temperatures in the teens and single digits is making me crazy. (Don't any of you dare comment on my sanity prior to the cold snap!) It does, however, lend itself towards keeping me indoors and doing things around the house like re-organizing messy closets, painting the guest room, and writing fan fiction. Yea! Not to mention spending time curled up on the couch watching movies with the adorable Scott! ;)  
  
Here's the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it. I can assure you that I already have about ten more chapters all in different stages of production!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Poison ~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus and Marlina were frozen in place. At first it was due to the fact that they were both so surprised to find an animal inside the castle, but quickly it was because they realized exactly what the creature was. No body would recognize a mangabey quicker than the Defense Against the Dark Arts or Care of Magical Creatures professors.  
  
Remus whispered to Marlina as he kept an eye on the beast. "Don't move." He stepped in front of her and drew his wand out of his back pocket, very slowly.  
  
The mangabey eyed them warily and only snarled a little as Remus moved, but it was when he pointed the wand at her that she decided she felt threatened. She showed all of her sharp teeth a good deal more and then charged.  
  
  
  
Remus braced himself as Marlina cringed behind him. "This better work!" He said, and he cast the best spell he knew for dealing with the poisonous animal. "Infusio!" he cried, and a fountain of water drenched the animal just before it got to them.  
  
Remus stepped back a little, pushing Marlina further away from the writhing mass of fur on the floor. It only took seconds for the water to do its job, as the Defense professor knew it would. The mangabey virtually melted.  
  
Remus blew out a deep breath as he looked at the small pile of fur that was all that was left of the animal. He turned to Marlie, and saw that the red haired woman was looking at him in a way that he decided he definitely liked.  
  
"That," breathed Marlina, "was amazing." She smiled admiringly at Remus.  
  
Remus shrugged modestly.  
  
"Don't give me that." She said, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
Remus thought that he would melt next when Marlie kissed him the way she did. He looked at her and smiled, and then drew her closer again for a second kiss, but was stopped by the distant noises he now heard. Grunting and snuffling and squabbling could be heard rounding the corner, and Remus and Marlina turned slowly to face the next forty male mangabeys that had followed the scent of the female.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry and the three Weasley brothers had decided that they'd pushed their luck about as far as they wanted to and, grabbing the remaining fireworks in the bag, bolted out of the tower. They ran down the long staircase as fast as they could.  
  
Harry didn't want to get caught because he didn't like to think of the number of nights he was going to spend in detention with Filch if they got caught in the act, but also he didn't want to be found quite so red- handed by either Snape or his godfather.  
  
The four boys spilled out into the hallway at the bottom of the stairs just in time to skid across the floor as they yelled aloud, and frantically tied to backtrack away from the handful of monkey-like creatures snarling at them in the corridor. They bolted back up the stairs, and it was only a moment before they could hear the animals pursuing them.  
  
It was only another moment before they realized the animals were gaining on them.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ariel Sinistra heard the commotion coming from the staircase to the tower that was near her rooms, and launched herself out of her chair. This was ridiculous. It was bad enough that students occasionally sneaked up into the tower for a bit of snogging, but when they blatantly stormed up her staircase that way, it made her furious.  
  
She rushed out into the stairwell and was about to follow the source of the noises she heard traveling away from her up the stairs, when a snuffling sound behind her rooted her to the spot. A low growl followed and Ariel turned just in time to see a final mangabey launch itself at her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape was walking rapidly back in the direction of the great hall when Sinistra staggered out of the adjoining hallway. It took him a moment to realize that something was wrong, but then he finally saw the look of fear in her dark eyes.  
  
"Severus!" She gasped, falling back against the wall.  
  
It was then that he saw the blood soaking through her sleeve and went to her. "What happened, Ariel?" He asked, not liking the glazed look in the woman's eyes.  
  
She looked at him in an unfocused way. "Students.....tower." She gasped again. "Trapped."  
  
Snape frowned. "What do you mean, 'trapped'?"  
  
She swallowed hard and leaned her head back against the wall, her breathing rapid. "Mangabeys. Maybe ten." She croaked.  
  
"Mangabeys? In the castle?" Snape asked incredulously. Now he knew where the blood on her arm had come from.  
  
Sinistra nodded weakly.  
  
Snape knew that he'd had that feeling of dread earlier for a reason. This must have to do with Malfoy, he knew it.  
  
"Severus?" Sinistra choked out his name and he looked at her again. "I tried.....couldn't get up.....stairs.." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she started to slide down the wall.  
  
Snape could have stepped forward quickly and caught the Slytherin witch before she hit the ground, but he found it much more satisfying to delay by a second and hear the sickly thud her head made when it smacked into the floor. "My, that sounded like it hurt." He said to the unconscious woman, and he picked her up ungracefully, and turned and carried her toward the medical wing.  
  
He was going to have to find Lorien and hope that she could help Sinistra before the poison from the bite did any more harm. He spoke again to the unconscious woman. "You'd better hope that the Mistress of the Healing Arts is in one of her forgiving moods tonight, Ariel."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus and Marlina knew they were in deep dragon dung as they ran, and as much as they would have liked to run back inside the great hall, they each knew that it was too much of a risk that some of the creatures might make it inside the crowded room as well. They bolted for the front door, hoping to get outside before the creatures that were pursuing them closed the gap any further.  
  
Marlina hit the door, yanked it open as hard as she could, and flung herself through it, coming face to face with a wide-eyed Keath and Hermione. Remus leaped through right after her and yanked the door closed behind him, but found his arm was jarred when the door hit the head of a mangabey that had flung itself at them instead of shutting all the way. He pulled on the door as hard as he could to keep the animal trapped and started shouting at the three people behind him. "Hex it! Hex it!"  
  
Marlina and Hermione, in keeping with the spirit of the muggle party had left behind their wands, and Keath was unsure exactly what hex to use on the snarling head stuck in the doorway in front of Remus.  
  
Hermione snatched the auror's wand out of his hand and pointed it at the animal lying on the ground. "Infusio!"  
  
The animal snarled once more and melted away into a pile of fur on the floor when it was doused with the fountain of water. Remus slammed the door shut and turned to Hermione as she handed the wand back to the surprised auror.  
  
"I know the term isn't over yet, but Hermione, I promise you get an A in Defense." He panted. He saw the look of horror on her face. "Ok - A plus better?" He asked, and then it dawned on him that all three people in front of him wore the same expression as the door behind him was being pulled open by the first of the clever little animals to reach it. Then they were coming through. "Run!" He whispered, and the four of them ran into the darkness.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry, Ron, George, and Fred were losing the race up the stairs until Fred finally reached into the bag he still clung to. One silver orb remained and he spoke the lighting charm and flung it over his shoulder as he ran. It blew the first mangabey behind him to bits when it exploded, which bought them just enough time to throw themselves though the door to the observation deck and slam the heavy door home behind them.  
  
Unfortunately it also bought them about twenty more mangabeys that joined their comrades in throwing themselves at the door.  
  
All four of them flung themselves against the door to try to brace it enough to keep it from opening.  
  
Ron looked at Harry with large eyes. "Were those what I think they were?" He gasped.  
  
"Mangabeys? Yeah. I think so." Harry panted back.  
  
"Why do I feel like I'm taking one of Lupin's damn practical exams?" Ron asked.  
  
"If only we were." Harry answered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape made it back to the great hall a moment or two after the last of the group of mangabeys had charged after Remus and Marlina, and he didn't know how close he came to coming face to face with the whole lot of them.  
  
He put the woman down on the floor and she stirred a little as he propped her up against the wall, and went quickly into the great hall to find Lorien.  
  
He spotted her talking to Cho Chang and walked quickly up to her. "A word, Mistress Lorien?" He drew her away from the younger Ravenclaw.  
  
"What is it?" She asked, knowing that something was seriously wrong by the look in his eyes.  
  
"Lorien, there are at least ten mangabeys running loose in the castle." He said in a quiet voice as they walked rapidly toward the door.  
  
"What? How did they get in?" She gasped.  
  
"I don't know, but they've already injured one person." He replied. "You need to see after her while I alert the rest of the staff."  
  
She was nodding in agreement until she saw just who her patient was, and she looked back at Severus. "You've got to be kidding." She sighed when she saw him shake his head and pick the unconscious woman back up.  
  
They took Sinistra to the hospital wing, where Severus laid the woman on the same table that he himself had been treated on all those months ago. "It's the poison that's the problem." He advised Lorien.  
  
She nodded and watched him quickly sweep out of the ward, and then turned her attention to stop the bleeding from the Astronomy professor's wounds.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Filias Flitwick knew something was wrong when he saw Lorien leave in such a hurry with Snape, and he decided to ask them if there were reason to be concerned about any of the students. He moved quickly to the door of the great hall and opened it to step through, and was promptly knocked flat on his back.  
  
A second wave of monkey-like creatures descended on the lower hallways from the third floor and ran in the direction that their comrades had, in search of the female that was the origin of the scent that drew them. When they started by the door to the great hall it was just opening, and the mass of vicious creatures changed direction when they caught the new smell of pizza. They plowed through the open door, rampaging right over the top of the diminutive Charms professor and into the crowded room.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Snape made it back near the great hall just as Sirius was walking up from the other direction.  
  
"Anything?" Black asked, unaware of what had transpired in his absence.  
  
"No, but we have a new problem." Snape replied gravely.  
  
"What?"  
  
"There are mangabeys in the castle, Black, and I have reason to believe that there are students trapped by them in the astronomy tower." Snape answered.  
  
Sirius hit himself in the head. The Astronomy tower. He hadn't thought of the tower. It must be Harry and Ron that were trapped up there. "I'm going for the tower." He said, drawing his wand.  
  
Snape nodded. "I intend to alert the rest of the staff of the danger and then I'll...."  
  
It became apparent to both men that the shouts coming from inside the great hall were no longer those of happy party-goers. They each seized their wands and stepped forward together to throw the doors open.  
  
The scene before them was an absolute nightmare.  
  
Most of the younger students were screaming or crying or both as they desperately tried to get away from the rampaging beasts that had swarmed into the room.  
  
Several seventh year Hufflepuffs were in a corner valiantly trying to protect a small group of first years, but it was a lost cause without wands, and two mangabeys slashed away at the two boys until they were doused with water by Professor Vector.  
  
Seamus Finnegan and Colin Creevey were holed up behind the refreshment table, slamming cans of soda on the table and then opening them to spray any of the animals that threatened the small group of third year girls that they'd managed to pull behind the table with them.  
  
McGonagall had kicked off her heels and was hexing mangabeys like a wildcat, standing in front of as many students as she could protect at a time.  
  
Hagrid had grabbed two of the horrid creatures by the neck and slammed them together and the recovered Flitwick jumped forward and soaked the dazed creatures in a flash.  
  
Students were fleeing out the teachers entrance behind the head table, but there was only so much room for them to try to exit by that route.  
  
Snape and Black flung themselves into the battle without hesitation.  
  
  
  
Snape doused the closest mangabey as he ran into the room, elbowed another brutally in the head and then blanketed the fallen beast in a jet of water. He looked up as he heard a particularly close cry and saw one of the creature sink its teeth into the leg of a Slytherin fourth year girl. He snarled the hex and soaked the animal until it was nothing but a pile of fur and then grabbed the girl and pushed her, limping, behind him as he turned to face the three mangabeys that had arrived with the cry of their fallen comrade.  
  
Snape doubted whether or not he was going to be able to blast all three of the snarling animals in front of him in time to avoid being bitten and he took another step back to give himself as much room as possible as they launched themselves at him. He was able to get two and he heard a loud thud as braced himself for the impact and the girl behind him screamed. It never came, and after a moment Snape ventured a glance to see what had happened to the third creature. It lay on the floor, disintegrating into a pile of fur.  
  
Even more amazing to Snape than the disappearing monster on the floor was the sight of Neville Longbottom, standing before him with a newly open can of shaken soda.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius ran into the middle of the room and started blasting the group of mangabeys that were ripping at a group of screaming students with jets of water. The floor in the great hall was now getting slick from being wet, and here and there blood mixed with the water around Sirius as the monsters continued their devastation. He redoubled his efforts and started melting the creatures as fast as he could, and just when he felt like he might be making some headway, the third wave of nightmare monkeys swept into the great hall.  
  
New screaming broke out and Sirius caught a flash of red hair out of the corner of his right eye. Two of the male mangabeys were just about on top of Ginny Weasley as she tried to get away. Sirius saw she was out of range of the water hex and that he'd never make it to her on foot, and instantly the large black dog was racing in her direction. The dog's jaws closed on the arm of one of the beasts and he flung the animal through the air and away from Ginny and turned just in time to see the second one swiping a vicious clawed hand at the girl. There was nothing else he could do fast enough and the great black dog threw himself on Ginny, slamming her to the floor. He yelped as the claws ripped through the skin over his back, and then the beast snarled as it was blasted by water from Flitwick's wand.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien was puzzled as to why she didn't seem to be getting the response she expected from the unconscious woman on the table. It wasn't that she wasn't trying in earnest to save the woman that had caused her so much trouble, it was just that so far her remedies weren't working.  
  
"Can't get a bit of sleep with all that racket at the party." Poppy was walking into the medical ward in her dressing gown. "Who do you have there, Lorien?"  
  
"Ariel." Lorien answered her. "She was bitten by a mangabey, Poppy."  
  
"A what? Here in the castle?" The older woman looked alarmed as Lorien nodded.  
  
"Severus says there are at least ten in the castle and he thinks they're holed up near the astronomy tower."  
  
"I see. So, the poisonous bitch has been poisoned, has she?" Pomfrey asked.  
  
"Poppy!" Lorien was actually amused at Pomfrey's assessment. "I've gotten the wound closed, but she doesn't seem to be responding to the standard restoratives, even class III."  
  
"Have you given her bezoar derivatives?" Pomfrey asked.  
  
"Yes. Both kinds." Lorien replied to the other healer. "Minimal response."  
  
"Hmmm." Said Poppy. "It seems to me that a remember a case like this quite some time ago. I seem to recall that mangabey toxin is slow to act, but it has to be countered by a special antidote."  
  
"What would that be?" Lorien asked.  
  
Pomfrey shook her head. "I don't recall the formulation, but I'd be willing to bet that our resident Defense Against the Dark Arts professor does." She said. "Lorien, I'll stay here with Sinistra. You run down the hall and get Lupin so I don't have to scare the students in my bathrobe."  
  
Lorien grinned at the older witch. "Be back in a minute." She said and she walked out of the hospital ward toward the great hall.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: My own preference is to believe that it was a can of Mountain Dew that rescued our favorite Potions master. You may substitute whatever type of soda you prefer. ;) 


	30. The Nemorosi Witch's Apprentice

A/N: Arsinoe - Thanks for chiming in! Welcome to the party!  
  
Scotty - Hello and thanks. Glad to have another country heard from!  
  
Ingrid - Thanks. Hey! You're an East Coast girl too?  
  
Musiscript - Thanks for the review. Ask and Ye shall receive. More Sirius/Marlina coming up next chapter!  
  
  
  
Challenge Update - Tantz has submitted a story in response to the challenge I issued a while back. Our three favorite wizards have to work together to go and rescue Harry after he's been kidnapped by Voldemort. Go check it out! http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=283739  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Nemorosi Witch's Apprentice ~*~  
  
  
  
Remus, Marlina, Hermione and Keath ran for everything they were worth as the swarm of mangabeys poured out of the doors of the castle and pursued the foursome across the grounds. At first they ran only with the intent of trying to stay ahead of the poisonous animals behind them, but then Remus had an idea.  
  
"The lake!" He called out as he changed direction suddenly. "Head for the lake!"  
  
The others understood his meaning, and as much as the thought of plunging into the cold water in March didn't appeal to any of them, it was certainly better than the alternative.  
  
Remus ventured a glance behind them as they neared the lake and didn't like what he saw. The pack of mangabeys was too close, and some of them were moving to cut the small group off. "Damn! This way!" Remus changed direction again, and now they were angling back toward the castle.  
  
They made it to the outer wall and skirted along it trying to make it back to the doorway, but a cluster of the faster mangabeys had leaped in front of them and they came skidding to a halt as they found they had to retreat again. "Back! Back!" yelled Keath, as Remus hexed the nearest of the creatures.  
  
They reversed direction only to find themselves becoming nearly surrounded and they backed themselves against the wall. Remus drew Marlina and Hermione to stand behind himself and Keath, and the two wizards faced the large group of snarling animals that was slowly, but steadily advancing.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The four young Gryffindors in the tower could hear the snorts and growls of the mass of animals clawing at the other side of the door behind them, and they hoped that they could manage to hold the door closed long enough so that either the beasts would get tired and go away, or someone would finally come to rescue them.  
  
"Who's idea was it to come up to this bloody tower anyway?" Asked George.  
  
"Yours." The other three answered in unison, as another large 'thud' shuddered the door they were leaning on.  
  
"Oh, yeah." George said quietly. "Well you can't say this wasn't a more lively party, now can you?"  
  
The other three each shot him a look and braced against the next tremor of the door.  
  
Harry was wondering if there were any way to get word to someone below to let them know of their predicament, but he could think of no way to get message out of the tower. He was about to resign himself to the fact that the four of them were about to have a very long and tense wait, when he suddenly heard distance voices coming from below the tower. "Hold on! I think I hear someone below the tower." He said. "I'm going to call down to them to see if they can send someone to help us."  
  
"Good idea, Potter." Said Fred.  
  
Harry flung himself off the door, and ran to peer over the wall. It was fairly dark and he couldn't see a whole lot, but he could just make out people running on the ground below. "Hey!" He yelled down. "We need help in the tower!"  
  
It dawned on Harry just then that there were not only people running below him, but people, and...mangabeys. Lots of them. It was only a minute before the small group of people was backed against the wall below the tower.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus and Keath were doing their best to keep the closest animals at bay. They had melted the first three or four, and the rest of the pack had started to hesitate from charging in when they had seen what had happened to their fellows.  
  
They heard the distant voice call to them from the tower.  
  
"Harry?" Hermione called back. "Is that you?"  
  
Mangabeys snarled all around the group of four when she spoke.  
  
"Hermione?" Came the reply in the form of a question.  
  
Remus called up next. "Harry! Get out of the tower and go get help as fast as you can! We've got about three dozen of these...infusio!" He paused and then continued. "We're trapped and I don't know how long we can hold them off!"  
  
  
  
Harry called back down, now afraid for the group below him. "I'm afraid we can't, Remus. We're trapped in the tower by a bunch of those things ourselves!"  
  
"Are they sending help?" Ron asked Harry from where he was pushing against the door.  
  
Harry shook his head. "Remus and Hermione are trapped with a few others against the wall."  
  
The three Weasleys looked devastated.  
  
A scream rose out of the darkness, and it sounded like Hermione. Harry leaned back over the wall, calling frantically. "Are you ok?!"  
  
Nothing for a moment and then Remus's voice again. "We're fine. Just a close call."  
  
  
  
Harry's mind raced.  
  
"Harry." Ron called quietly.  
  
He wished he could think of a way to get down from the tower.  
  
"Harry!" Ron called a little more insistently.  
  
How on earth were they going to help Hermione and Remus?  
  
"HARRY!"  
  
Harry looked at Ron and saw why he'd been trying to get his attention. The door was slowly being pushed open.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lorien walked quickly down the hall, hoping that she could locate Remus quickly to find out about the antidote they needed for Sinistra. The sounds emanating from the great hall were getting louder as she got closer, and she was beginning to think that there was entirely too much screaming going on. Something was not right.  
  
She quickened her pace and would have rounded the corner had not Severus come rushing at her, carrying a bleeding first year with a staggering fourth year girl hanging on to him for dear life.  
  
"Here!" He handed her the younger child, and yanked the older girl toward her as well. "Go! Take them! Get back to the ward and get Poppy if you can!" He was already moving away from her. "There are going to be a lot more, Lorien!" He was gone again.  
  
Cho Chang came rushing at her next, helping a Ravenclaw classmate that was bleeding from a horrid-looking gash across her shoulder.  
  
"Come! Quickly!" Lorien headed for the hospital wing, carrying the smaller boy. "What's happening?" She asked as they hurried along.  
  
"Mangabeys!" Gasped Cho. "Lots of them in the great hall. It's a nightmare!" She was nearly sobbing.  
  
"Aren't the professors dealing with them?" Lorien asked frantically.  
  
"There are just too many. Dozens." Cho whispered.  
  
They made it to the infirmary.  
  
"Poppy!" Lorien called as they blew through the door.  
  
Madame Pomfrey looked up from where she was monitoring Sinistra and frowned. "More mangabey attacks?" She went and helped the staggering Slytherin girl to a hospital bed, and started to look at her wounds.  
  
"Yes! The great hall is full of them!" Lorien called to her. "There are a lot more injured coming."  
  
Poppy looked at her gravely and nodded, turning her attention back to the patient in front of her.  
  
Lorien stopped the bleeding on the shoulder of the girl with Cho quickly and turned to the injured boy on the table. "Cho, were you scratched or bitten at all?"  
  
"No." Cho replied.  
  
"Do you know any first aid spells?" Lorien asked her as she worked.  
  
Cho nodded. "I can do a little wound healing."  
  
"Good. We might need your help." Lorien said.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry flung himself against the door and Ron, Fred, and George redoubled their efforts, and the door closed all the way once again.  
  
"How are we going to get out of this one?" Fred looked at George, who didn't appear to have an answer.  
  
Harry was worried about the door staying closed, but he was also worried about his friends below them in the darkness. They didn't at least have the luxury of a door between them and the mangabey pack.  
  
Harry knew there was no way they could get past that many animals in the stairs, and they couldn't climb down from the tower. There was also no place higher that they might climb out of the tower to. They'd have to fly to get out of the tower.  
  
Fly.  
  
Fly on a broom.  
  
It suddenly occurred to Harry that he might be able to summon his broom.  
  
He frowned again. He might be able to get two of them out of the tower at once, but the remaining two would never be able to hold the door.  
  
It was then the idea came to him. He had been about to summon his broom which was wandless magic. It wasn't the only wandless magic that Harry knew. It just might work. Harry had to try it, since there really wasn't time for anything else.  
  
He spoke to his three companions quickly. "Do you think you can hold the door for just a minute? I have an idea."  
  
He got three nods and three looks of confusion, and he launched himself back toward the wall. "Are you ok, Remus?"  
  
"At the moment!" Came the not very convincing answer.  
  
"OK!" Harry called down. "Hang on! I'm going to try something!"  
  
He stepped away from the wall a little and tried to calm his racing heart, as he looked up at the sky with it's heavy cloud cover.  
  
Harry took several deep breaths and closed his eyes as he raised his arms toward the sky.  
  
"What the heck is that all about?" George whispered.  
  
"Shhh!" Hush up!" Ron replied. "He knows what he's doing."  
  
Harry tried to remember everything that Lorien had told him when she had been coaching him during his lessons. He knew that this was probably the best chance they had of getting out of the tower and of helping Hermione and Remus.  
  
He pictured the area surrounding the Astronomy tower. He pictured the storm clouds overhead. He concentrated and took one last deep breath, and then Harry summoned the rains.  
  
He pulled his arms down steadily and drew the water to him as Lorien had instructed, and after about five seconds, rain began to fall. It fell on the tower, slowly at first, but as Harry felt the first raindrops on his face he felt his confidence grow and he concentrated harder. The rain increased steadily, and when he finally risked opening his eyes, he could see that for a distance maybe thirty feet in all directions from the tower, it was pouring.  
  
"Harry!" Ron called to him. The door was opening again.  
  
Harry merely smiled and as he increased his efforts one more time, he beckoned to the three brothers.  
  
Ron thought Harry had gone off the deep end when he cast the wandless spell, but as he stared at his friend across the tower, he realized that Harry was getting wet. Soaking wet. There was no way the mangabeys could get to them in the rain.  
  
Evidently Fred and George were following a similar thought process and the three boys looked at each other briefly and then threw themselves off the door and raced to Harry's side. They were instantly drenched.  
  
Angry mangabeys slammed the door open and raced into the tower, only to be faced with the deluge that was assaulting the observation deck. The first ones through started screaming and melting, but the next set in line couldn't back up as the ones behind them poured out of the stairwell and shoved them forward. It was only a minute before the platform was covered with writhing, shrinking balls of fur.  
  
Cries echoed up out of the darkness below the tower, and it took Harry a minute to realize that they were cries of excitement and relief.  
  
Ron peered over the tower's edge and could just make out the few remaining mangabeys that were being neatly hexed by Remus and company. He called down. "Alright there, Hermione?"  
  
"Never better!" Came her excited and relieved answer. "Was that Harry's doing?"  
  
"Yeah!" Ron called back down. "Thinks he's a Nemorosi wizard or something!" He turned and grinned at Harry who smiled sheepishly back.  
  
Fred and George were also smiling. "Very cool, Potter." Fred said.  
  
"Hey, any of you gents want to get out of this bloody tower?" George asked. "I think I've just about had enough of this place for one night."  
  
They all agreed and raced out of the observation deck.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Remus, Hermione, Marlina and Keath could not have been happier when it started to rain. For a brief moment they thought it was a fortuitous blessing from mother nature, and then it occurred at about the same time to Remus and Hermione what was taking place when they saw the only spot it was raining in was the area around the tower.  
  
Most of the mangabeys were instantly melting when it started to pour, and Remus and Keath were quick to jump forward and finish the last handful off. When the last toxic beast lay in a shrinking pile of fur in the rain, Marlina jumped forward and grabbed Remus in a hug, laughing out of relief.  
  
Hermione suddenly realized that in her own joy at seeing the last monster shrink practically into nothingness, she had flung her arms around Keath's neck and was becoming quite aware that she was clinging to the handsome young auror. He certainly didn't seem to mind and she found the next moment a bit awkward as she let go. She wasn't really sure what to say at that moment, and thankfully Remus came to her rescue. "Anyone for getting out of the rain?" He asked.  
  
They laughed together at Remus's comment, and then they decided that they needed to get inside and dry off and headed for the castle entrance.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Things in the great hall were still in a desperate state after the arrival of the third large pack of mangabeys, and the number of wounded had been rapidly rising despite the best efforts of the valiant staff. A large number of students had made it out of the room, but most of them were still trapped as they tried to avoid the snarling, slashing creatures.  
  
Some of the uninjured had managed to help some of the wounded out of the hall, and a steady stream of bleeding students was now making it's way toward the hospital ward.  
  
Severus had thrown himself back into the room not far from where Sirius had transformed back and the two of them found themselves desperately waging battle against the seemingly endless number of toxic creatures as the bedlam raged on.  
  
It was a only moment later when the crash of nearly deafening thunder shook the room, and the rain began to fall.  
  
In a downpour.  
  
Inside the great hall.  
  
The noise in the room dropped to a quarter of what it had been as those who weren't crying watched every last mangabey writhe and wither and then all but disappear.  
  
Severus stood there soaked to the skin as a very wet Sirius looked at him with an expression that probably mirrored the surprise and relief that he was now feeling. The surprise he felt anyway, until he glanced at the doorway. Sirius followed his gaze.  
  
Dumbledore stood there in his dressing gown, whisking the rain away now that the last of the fur covered terror was gone. He blew out a deep breath and then spoke. "Now," he started. "If all of you that are uninjured would kindly assist someone who is, it is imperative that we get them to the hospital wing as quickly as possible. No running. No panicking. Just walk quickly and please stay calm. I believe the danger is past."  
  
He spoke once more as he looked around the room. "Teachers, if you would all please rapidly proceed to the medical wing, I believe that our good Mistresses of the Healing Arts may need some assistance. Students, the rest of you will please return to your dormitories and remain there until your Head of House instruct you otherwise."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sirius glanced in the direction of a wounded seventh year Gryffindor who had collapsed on the floor, and had every intention of going to her, but as the adrenaline started to recede from his veins, he found that he was unable to move from the spot. He shook his head as he felt a wave of dizziness, and made an effort to move forward once again. He nearly fell as he staggered, and barely kept his balance on the wet floor.  
  
He was pressing his eyes tightly shut when he felt someone grip his arm firmly, and when he opened then, two Ginny Weasleys were trying to lead him toward the door.  
  
"Damn!" He knew that the double vision was not a good sign, and he allowed the young girl to guide him out of the room and into the hall.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In the hospital wing, Lorien and Poppy were barely keeping up with treating the wounds and other symptoms that the arriving injured students had. That all changed quickly once the mangabeys had been destroyed by the headmaster, and now a wave of bleeding, crying and limping students was being escorted into the ward. They rapidly ran out of exam tables and hospital beds, and as the rest of the faculty arrived, they went about conjuring pillows and blankets for the least injured to use on the floor.  
  
Lorien set Cho Chang to work doing the best she could to help a couple of younger students with relatively minor injuries, and as most of the rest of the staff saw to making the injured as comfortable as possible, McGonagall and Dumbledore himself tended to some of the injured.  
  
"Where's Lupin?" Poppy asked Lorien, sounding a little desperate.  
  
"I don't know. I never had a chance to find him." She replied as she hurriedly went to the next patient. She looked up as new arrivals entered the ward, and was alarmed when she saw Sirius helping Ginny Weasley. She was even more alarmed when she realized that it was the fourth year Gryffindor that was helping the older man. She wanted to go to him immediately, but he was at least still on his feet, and she had several patients that needed their wounds addressed more.  
  
Severus swept into the room a moment later, and Lorien beckoned to him.  
  
"Severus." She said quietly, pulling him aside for just a moment. She wanted to keep her voice down as most of the younger students didn't realize that they now faced life threatening problems with the toxin they'd been exposed to. "None of the antidotes or standard remedies are doing much. Poppy says that she thinks there's a special antidote for mangabey toxin. Are you familiar with it?"  
  
Severus shook his head. "I admit that I was not aware that a unique one was necessary. I thought mangabey toxin responded to bezoar derivatives."  
  
"We've tried that. Minimal response." She said. "Severus, have you seen Remus? We need to find him because Poppy thinks he knows what the antidote might be."  
  
Severus scowled at the thought that Lupin might be familiar with a poison antidote that he was not, but one look around the room told him it didn't matter. If by some remote chance Lupin knew, they had to put his knowledge to use soon. "I'll see if I can find him." He replied, and hurried back out of the infirmary.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: More soon! ;) 


	31. The Potion Making Team

Rocky - Thanks for the review, love. Glad you're enjoying yourself here in the land of HP and Nemorosi magic.  
  
I attempted to send Valentines to all of my reviewers for AHN. If you didn't get one from me (and Remus!) it's because I don't have a current e- mail or you're anonymous. A few of you may have gotten two - I lost track at one point while copying about 60 e-mail addresses. :P  
  
So... To anyone I wasn't able to send a personal greeting to...Happy Valentine's Day!!!  
  
I apologize if this chapter isn't as clear when scenes change. FFnet is doing weird things with my formatting, and I can't seem to keep everything from running all together. I decided just to give up and post the darn thing!  
  
The Potion Making Team ~*~  
  
Remus and company were walking back into the castle, elated at the fact that they had escaped without harm from the pack of mangabeys. Remus found his mild euphoria was short lived when he saw Snape coming rapidly toward them. The look on the man's face said that something else was seriously wrong.  
  
"Lupin!" Snape called to him suddenly. "Lorien needs you in the hospital wing immediately."  
  
"What's wrong?" Remus asked, not liking the feeling he was getting.  
  
"Come with me. I'll explain as we go." Snape seemed anxious to get back to the infirmary, and spoke as Remus fell in beside him and walked rapidly down the hall. Hermione and Keath looked at each other and then ran to catch up.  
  
"There were several large packs of mangabeys that somehow got into the castle, and unfortunately, most of them got into the great hall."  
  
It was all Snape really had to say for what must have happened to dawn on Remus.  
Things looked even worse than Remus had feared when he entered the large hospital room, and he stood aghast at the sight of so many injured students in one place. There were dozens. Remus quickly came to his senses and went to Lorien who was closest.  
  
She looked up as he approached with Severus and Marlina. "Thank goodness. We need your help."  
  
Remus looked puzzled. "I'm not exactly sure what I can do."  
  
"Do you know the antidote for mangabey toxicity?" Lorien asked him.  
  
"Of course. It's a bezoar derivative potion." He replied.  
  
"We tried that. Nothing works." Lorien said, starting to sound a little desperate.  
  
"It has to." Remus said adamantly. "The specific antidote for this toxin is Culpeper's bezoar derivative."  
  
Lorien whirled to face him. "Culpeper's?" She asked. "That old remedy? We don't even keep that in the ward anymore because the newer derivatives are generally so much more effective."  
  
It was Remus's turn to look alarmed. "You mean you don't have any in the hospital?"  
  
Lorien shook her head. "Most of the large hospitals might carry a handful of doses on their shelves, but it's difficult to even find anymore."  
  
Remus tried to keep his voice down as he spoke to Lorien. "We're going to have to get some quick, because it's the only thing that will help." He looked around the room at the chaotic scene meaningfully. "I don't know if we'll have time to make enough."  
  
"We have time." Snape spoke up suddenly from where he stood nearby, and then he turned to Marlina. "Come with me." He walked rapidly for the door.  
  
Marlina nodded as Remus looked surprised. She shrugged. "I had a knack for potion brewing in school." She quickly went after Snape.  
  
Snape halted for one more instant at the door and looked at Hermione. "Miss Granger, I believe that now would be an opportune time for you to demonstrate the talent that you have been cultivating in my class."  
  
Hermione nodded silently and went with Snape and Marlina.  
  
"Remus, there's something else you should know." Lorien said as she moved to the next bleeding student, and Remus walked with her.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
Lorien nodded to a spot a short distance away and Remus followed her gaze. His heart sank when he saw that Sirius was sitting in a chair with his head fallen forward on his chest.  
  
"You've got to do something!" He said to Lorien.  
  
"I know. He's next." She said.  
  
"No! Now!" He said, grabbing her arm.  
  
"Remus, please. These injuries are worse. Let me finish here so I can get to Sirius faster." Lorien said. Nobody wanted to go to him more than she did. "Why don't you see if Keath will go and find Kaneene."  
  
Remus nodded and went to Keath, and Lorien turned to finish with her current patient. That would give Remus something to do for a moment.  
  
Sirius?" Remus spoke to his friend tentatively after sending the young auror to find his sister, and was relieved when he saw the man lift his head and look at him with tired eyes.  
  
"Remus." He replied quietly, and then gave a weak smile.  
  
Remus dropped to one knee to speak to the seated man at his level. "Lorien's coming. It's going to be ok." He put a hand on Sirius's arm.  
  
"You're full of it." Sirius said, but managed another weak smile. "It's that bloody monkey toxin that's the problem, and I know the two healers don't have an antidote."  
  
Remus nodded. "They didn't, but they will. Snape's gone to make the potion we need, and he says that it won't take long."  
  
"So, what you're telling me is that slimy git is going to save my pathetic poisoned ass?" Sirius asked sarcastically.  
  
Remus nodded. "Yes, but if it makes you feel better at all," he whispered with a sly look, "I had to tell him what the potion we needed was."  
  
Sirius burst out laughing and then immediately went into a fit of coughing. He became very sober. "Tell the damn Potions master to hurry up. There are a lot of students a lot worse off than I am."  
  
Remus answered quietly. "He's hurrying. Marlina and Hermione are helping."  
  
Harry, Ron, Fred, and George came face to face with Snape, Marlina, and Hermione as they returned from the tower. Snape did nothing but glare at each boy in passing, and they all thought how lucky they were that he appeared to be in an extreme hurry.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione called to him as she rushed past as well. "Go to the hospital wing!" She offered no further explanation and disappeared down the stairs to the dungeon.  
  
The four boys knew that something was wrong and they hurried to the infirmary. They weren't prepared for just how wrong things were.  
  
Poppy saw them come in. "You three," she said, indicating the Weasleys, "get down to the dungeon and see if you can be of any assistance at all." She turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter, if you would come here please."  
  
The boys exchanged looks and then jumped to comply with Madame Pomfrey's orders when she barked at them again. "Go!"  
  
Harry stepped forward.  
  
"Harry, I'm afraid that your godfather is among the injured, love." Pomfrey spoke kindly to the boy as he got a stricken expression on his face.  
  
"Where?" Harry started to look around the room.  
  
"There." Pomfrey answered as she pointed. "Mistress Lorien is just going to him now."  
  
Harry ran to where Remus and Lorien were standing by a very pale Sirius. "Sirius!" He called.  
  
His godfather looked up and gave him a weak smile. "Hi, Harry."  
  
"What happened?" Harry asked with great alarm. Sirius explained about the assault on the great hall.  
  
"Ok, you two can catch up after I get a look at you, Sirius." Lorien said. She turned to Remus. "Help me get him to that exam table."  
  
Remus and Harry helped a shaky Sirius to stand and walk the short way to the table. Lorien could see a large amount of blood soaking through the back of his torn shirt. She began to examine him as he sat there. "Have you had any dizziness or double vision yet?"  
  
Sirius nodded as she looked in his eyes and saw that his pupils were more dilated than they should have been. It was a pharmacological effect that was consistent with mangabey poison. She checked his pulse and then walked around to look at the wound. She grabbed the shirt and ripped it slowly apart down his back, gently peeling away the areas that were plastered to his skin with drying blood.  
  
Sirius laughed weakly. "Lorien, you animal! I knew you couldn't keep your hands off me."  
  
"I'll have to try to restrain myself with all these people here." Lorien quipped from behind him, but she wasn't smiling when she looked at his shredded flesh.  
  
"Ok, Nemorosi chick, how bad is it?" Sirius asked, and then he was wracked by another fit of coughing.  
  
"Not so bad." Lorien said as she cleaned the wound. "Sirius, you know it's not the wound itself that's the problem?"  
  
"Yeah." He said where he sat with his eyes closed, bracing himself against the sting of the antiseptic she was using.  
  
"It'll be ok." She said.  
  
"Maybe." He said quietly.  
  
She placed her hands on him and started to close the wound. "No, it'll be fine. If anyone can get the potion made in time, it's Severus."  
  
Remus spoke up from where he stood next to Harry. "You seem to have a lot of faith in him, Lorien."  
  
She looked at him and saw that there was no malice in his observation, and that it was just that, an observation. She nodded. "A great deal." She replied steadily.  
  
Remus nodded as well and then smiled at her. "I think you're right. If for no other reason, he'll get it done in time to aggravate our friend here."  
  
Lorien found that she couldn't disagree.  
Severus, Marlina and Hermione were rapidly approaching the potions lab and he was giving them initial instructions as they neared the door. He spoke to Marlina first. "I need you to start preparing as much red coral as you possibly can. It'll take the longest so get started right away."  
  
She nodded in acknowledgment, and he spoke to Hermione. "Get a jar of crab's eyes, half a dozen deer antlers, and six oriental bezoars." He opened the door to the room and the torches sputtered to life. "Oh, and we'll also need boomslang skin." He looked at her pointedly for a moment. "I believe you're familiar with where it's kept, Miss Granger?"  
  
Hermione said nothing, but swallowed hard and nodded, and then ran to gather her list of components.  
  
Snape himself set up three large cauldrons and pointed his wand at each in rapid succession. Flames leaped up with a hiss as the fire below each one sprang to life.  
  
Marlina had gathered what she needed at a table and smashed the first chunk of coral in the mortar with a vengeance, eager to get it prepared as quickly as possible. She knew that the toxin acted slowly, but she didn't want to take any chances that they night lose any of the first ones to be poisoned. She also didn't want anything to happen to Remus's best friend, and she worked fervently to grind the brittle substance to a powder. Quickly she reached for the next chunk, and then the next.  
Hermione brought all of the rest of the ingredients to the large table near where Snape had the water in the cauldrons already heating. She looked at him as she set everything down. "What next?" She asked.  
  
Snape was setting a large bundle of leaves on the table and he turned away for a moment. When he turned back he held a large knife out to her handle first, and slapped it into her palm as she reached for it. "We need all the velvet peeled off the antlers and then chopped as fine as you can." His eyes met hers for a moment. "Hurry." He added sternly, but quietly.  
  
Hermione grabbed the first antler and attacked it with the knife, and soon had a pile of velvet started on the table before her.  
  
Snape grabbed a wicked looking blade himself and with quick, deft movements, separated the stems from a large number of the plants on the table.  
  
Hermione continued to work feverishly, but curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to risk asking a question. "What is that?" She asked.  
  
He never looked up. "Crab's claws."  
  
"The water plant?" She asked as she ripped another long strip of velvet off.  
  
He nodded, and continued to quickly remove the stems from the remainder of the pile. "We need the leaves."  
  
"Only the black parts, right?" Hermione asked.  
  
He shot her a glance. "Correct." Snape grabbed a handful of the leaves before him and rapidly cut the black parts from the green ones.  
  
Hermione finally finished stripping the velvet from the antlers, and set about chopping it finely. Her hand was confident with the knife in it and she quickly set about producing a pile of tiny bits of velvet. She pushed a small pile forward. "Ok?" She asked him.  
  
Snape stopped long enough to pick up a small amount of very tiny pieces. He spread some out on his palm and then nodded and dumped it back in the pile. "Adequate," was all he said.  
  
Hermione knew that meant her work was acceptable and probably much more than that. She went about preparing the rest of the pile in the same fashion. Occasionally she shot a quick look at the man standing beside her to find him completely absorbed with the task at hand. It was definitely odd to be working next to him on the same potion.  
  
Snape turned back to the pile of black leaves before him, and attacked them with the knife, his hand setting up a staccato rhythm that rapidly produced an enlarging pile of minced leaf fragments.  
  
Hermione watched the blade he used flying in his hand, and cringed a little repeatedly as the blade nearly grazed the fingers of the hand that held the leaves. It became rapidly apparent that he wielded the knife with the utmost skill, and not with the reckless abandon that the speed of his movements had led her to originally think. Hermione had to admit she was at least a little impressed.  
  
All three looked up as Ron, Fred and George ran into the room, panting.  
  
"We came.....to help." Ron huffed.  
  
Snape scowled at the three brothers and decided to hold his tongue for the present. He pointed to a spot nearby. "Set up three more cauldrons and fill them two-thirds full of water."  
  
George and Fred rushed to comply, and Ron hesitated as the Potion master's gaze fell on him. "Take this to Kaneene Moody." The man had reached into his robes and tossed a small vial to Ron. "Tell her I said 'just in case we don't finish in time.' She'll know what to do."  
  
Ron looked at him questioningly, hesitating for a moment.  
  
"She'll know what it is." Snape said. "Now go!"  
  
Ron clutched the vial in his hand and once more ran back to the hospital ward.  
Snape watched Ron run out of the room and went back to his work. He considered what he had just done. It was the last dose he had on hand of the class IV dark potion and he had just sent it to Moody to use on Black if need be. If they didn't get the Culpeper's done in time to treat everyone, it would prolong Black's life for at least a short time more.  
  
Snape was aware that anyone that knew the two of them would be surprised that he would even lift a finger to save Black after what had happened in the past, but he was doing it because he needed to. He needed to because Black had helped to save him, and he wanted to even the score. The potion would pay back the blood debt. As for the fact that Black had tried to kill him all those years ago, that had never figured into that equation. That was another matter entirely, and Snape had never considered that Black's contribution to his recovery in October had in any way redeemed the attempted murder.  
  
He also did it for Kaneene. He knew how the auror had felt about him in the past, and he admired the fact that she had the nerve to admit that she was wrong, and apologize to him in person. Snape also found the thought of the auror struggling with the decision as to whether or not to use the dark potion to save her companion, well, amusing.  
  
And as for Black, himself, Snape knew that nothing would agitate the arrogant Gryffindor more than having his life given back to him by the Potions master, and it was at the top of the list of reasons that motivated him to work so feverishly. Well, that and trying to save the life of several dozen students.  
Poppy and Lorien were getting concerned about a number of their patients, including Sinistra and a handful of younger students. Most of the ones that had been severely affected were now lapsing in and out of consciousness, and the two healers tried giving them all another round of class III restoratives to try to slow the effects of the toxin. It only seemed to help to a small degree.  
  
"We're going to be out of that soon, as well." Poppy whispered to Lorien where they were standing together.  
  
Lorien nodded silently, knowing the situation was worsening.  
  
Both women looked up as the door to the ward flew open again, and Kaneene Moody strode through the door and toward Lorien.  
  
"Where..?" Moody started, but then followed where Lorien beckoned her to. She went quickly to where Sirius lay, with Remus and Harry standing next to him.  
  
Sirius opened his eyes at her arrival. "Hi, K." He said weakly.  
  
She put her hands on her hips. "What kind of trouble have you gone and gotten yourself into this time, Sirius Black?" She joked to try to hide how frightened she was at how pale he looked.  
  
He smiled. "Pretty big trouble."  
  
She smiled back, but it rapidly evolved into a look of great worry. "Is it that bad?"  
  
He nodded, and Lorien explained the situation.  
  
"So, we just wait?" Kaneene asked.  
  
Lorien nodded. "We've done absolutely everything else that we can."  
  
"I see." Said the auror quietly. "Well, you're just going to have to hang in there."  
  
She leaned closer and tried to keep her voice from breaking as she whispered so only Sirius could hear her. "Don't you even think of letting go. Hanging around you was just starting to get interesting."  
  
Sirius whispered back. "Starting? You mean it could get more interesting?"  
  
"Definitely." She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly.  
  
"I'll most certainly keep that in mind." He said with a wink. He laughed a little, but immediately started coughing again.  
  
A/N: The antidote that Remus provides for mangabey toxicity is based on a true bezoar potion that I found. The creator was a man named Nicholas Culpeper, and the ingredients are really as I have listed them. I merely made sure that the viper skin needed was from a boomslang just to harass Hermione. ;) 


	32. Antidote and Accusation

Draco-luver - You did your homework, love. You must have gone back when Severus snaps at Remus and Sirius before chapter 18. I confess that I am most certainly not your typical dunderhead. Perhaps that just makes me an atypical dunderhead? I'll let each of you decide for yourselves. ;)  
  
Antidote and Accusation ~*~  
  
One of the responsibilities of being headmaster of Hogwarts was giving bad news to parents, and Albus Dumbledore currently found himself in position of having to give a lot of bad news to a large number of parents.  
  
The first thing he had done when he left the infirmary was to summon the house elves to try to take care of the disaster that was currently the great hall. He knew it wouldn't be long before worried parents began to arrive, and he didn't think it would do to have them see the flooded room littered with mangabey remains and splattered with blood.  
  
The second thing he did was quickly compose two letters; one to go to the parents of those students that had been injured, and one to go to the parents of those that had not. He was putting his signature on the second letter when McGonagall arrived with the list bearing the names of the wounded. She now wore robes again, as did he.  
  
"Here's the list you asked for." McGonagall noticed that the headmaster seemed to look his age at the moment. "Albus, are you alright?" She asked in a worried fashion.  
  
"Yes, Minerva, but I'll feel a lot better once we deal with all the parents, and when Severus gets that potion finished." Dumbledore replied in a tired voice.  
  
McGonagall looked thoughtful for a moment and then patted the headmaster's arm. "He'll do it." She said in a quiet tone of reassurance.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "I know." He said. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to see to it that these letters get sent immediately?"  
  
McGonagall nodded and took the letters and left the headmaster's office.**  
  
Ron had no idea what was in the vial he was delivering to the female auror, but he knew he didn't like the odd smoky violet color of potion he held in his hand. He ran in the door of the infirmary, and quickly located the woman sitting by the side of Harry's godfather. Ron cringed a little as he saw how awful the man looked, and his eyes met those of a very worried Harry as he approached Kaneene.  
  
"I'm supposed to give this to you." He panted as the woman looked up at his arrival. "Professor Snape said you'd know what it was, and that it was for 'just in case'." Ron held the vial out in his hand.  
  
Kaneene stared at the offering for the longest time, and with a sigh resigned herself to take the vial from Ron. She did indeed know what it was, and she also knew now that she would use it if she absolutely had to. She looked at the man slipping in and out of consciousness next to her, and prayed that it never came to that.**  
  
When the potion ingredients were ready, Snape stepped in front of the three cauldrons and address Marlina and Hermione. "Now, watch and pay careful attention. This is simple but you must get the order right."  
  
The two women watched along with the Weasley twins as the Potions master added the measures of crab's eyes, coral powder and velvet to the potion.  
  
"Ten minutes, and then the rest goes in." Snape repeated the first step with the next two cauldrons as they waited. When the required time was up he added the pulverized bezoar, minced crab claw leaves, and then tiny bits of shredded boomslang skin. The mixture was now becoming somewhat gelatinous.  
  
When the third cauldron received the final component, Snape pointed to the second set of cauldrons and spoke to Marlina. "Start the next three, and then set up another set of cauldrons, just in case," he ordered. " I'll be back after I see how much more we're going to need." He cast a charm over the three cauldrons to make them lighter, and looked meaningfully at Fred and George as he picked up the handle of the first one. Each brother jumped to grab a cauldron and follow him to the fireplace. They were going to take the fastest possible route.**  
  
Lorien was hovering between a first year student that was rapidly slipping into a coma, and Sinistra that had been in the same condition for a short while now. She was frustrated that her hands were tied, and she worried about what would happen if someone actually died. Her eyes went across the room to Poppy, and she was sure the older witch was probably having many of the same thoughts, as she stood by the two valiant, but unresponsive Hufflepuff boys that had tried to protect the younger students.  
  
She looked at where Harry, Ron, Remus, Keath, and Kaneene were all hovered around Sirius, and she wished that there was something else she could do for him.  
  
Her head snapped up as the fire flamed higher in the large fireplace on the ward, and Severus stepped out followed by the Weasleys. She didn't know if she was ever so glad to see him, and she ran to where he set the cauldron down.  
  
He spoke to her immediately. "The first batch is ready. You'll have to cut it with something by half - wine, cider, pumpkin juice, anything but water."  
  
Poppy was already sending for a house elf and Lorien grabbed Severus by the arm. He knew what she had in mind and he ran out of the ward and down two doors with her to her rooms. Lorien handed him half a dozen wine bottles and grabbed four more herself, and they ran back to the hospital ward.  
  
When they reached the cauldrons again, Snape didn't bother with an opening charm, he merely smashed the neck off the first bottle on the edge of a table and then dumped the wine into the first cauldron. Lorien copied him and they were able to dilute the first two cauldrons of potion enough with the wine that they had retrieved.  
  
Poppy directed Fred and George to start filling the dosing cups with measures of the potion, and she and Lorien set about bringing a dose to the most critical patients first.  
  
Remus and Keath saw what was happening, and with a look at one another, sprang out of their chairs and started grabbing doses of potion to distribute.  
  
Lorien went first to the comatose first year and tipped a few drops of the potion onto the girls tongue at a time. She knew she needed to get to Sinistra, but in her mind the students came first. She ran to get another dose for the Astronomy professor and met Remus at the cauldrons, which were already nearly empty. She grabbed his arm. "Remus!" She whispered. "Get a dose for Sirius." We're going to run short and it'll be a bit before the next batch arrives."  
  
Remus nodded and grabbed a dose for his best friend as Lorien went to tend to Sinistra. **  
  
Lorien hated to admit that she even had the thought, but the idea that she could arrive just a little too late with the potion had in fact popped into her mind, if only fleetingly. She sighed and raised the Astronomy instructor's head enough to start dripping small amounts of the potion on her tongue. Hopefully this would work in time and they wouldn't have to lose anybody, including Sinistra.  
  
Severus stepped close to where Lorien was working, and after watching for a moment, spoke to her. "It would have been easy to overlook her treatment, Lorien." He said quietly.  
  
"Perhaps." Was all she said in return as she worked.  
  
"This is better." He said with a nod.  
  
"I know. That way we might actually be able to save everyone." Lorien replied.  
  
Snape leaned closer and spoke in a low voice. "Plus the bitch will wake up owing you and I a debt that she'll wish she never did. It'll be appropriate torment for her."  
  
Lorien looked up into the intense black eyes and slowly broke into a smile. "There are times when I really like the way your mind works, Severus."  
  
He snorted with amusement. "Scary thought, Mistress Lorien." He turned and flung a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and was gone.  
  
Lorien hoped he would hurry back. They had been able to treat all of the most critical patients with a first dose, and many of the less severely affected students, but there were some that had yet to receive their first dose, and most of the hospitalized cases would need at least one more dose in a couple of hours.**  
  
Remus walked quickly to Sirius with the dose of potion that he had grabbed and spoke as he neared his friend. "Ok, Sirius. Here's a little pick-me-up courtesy of the potion making team."  
  
Sirius opened his eyes a little and questioned Remus. "Everyone else has been treated?" He asked hoarsely.  
  
"Yes. Now drink this." Replied Remus.  
  
Sirius frowned. "Moony, you are such a terrible liar. Give that dose to a student!"  
  
Remus tried to argue. "All the most critical cases have been treated. You're the next worse one."  
  
" Remus, just do it." Sirius ordered weakly. "I'm not drinking that stuff until everyone is treated, do you understand?"  
  
"Sirius," Kaneene started, "you're being difficult. Remus is right. You really need this more than some of the others."  
  
"Save your breath, sweetheart." Sirius closed his eyes and proceeded to ignore them.  
  
Kaneene frowned at him. This was obviously how the man survived his stay in Azkaban. He was too damn stubborn to give in. She looked at Remus and threw her hands up. "You might as well put that to good use."  
  
Remus went to Poppy to see which patient needed the potion the most.  
  
Kaneene found that each minute she sat and waited next to Sirius seemed like forever, and she didn't know how much longer she could chance waiting for the next batch of antidote to be finished. Finally after glancing one more time at the man laying only half alert next to her, she knew that she needed to act. She wasn't taking any chances. Sirius wouldn't be happy with her later when he found out what she was about to do, but better that he would be alive to be mad, than take a chance on losing him.  
  
She went to Remus and pulled him aside for a moment, speaking very quietly in solemn tones. "I can't wait any longer, Remus. I think we should give him this." She held her palm open, showing him the vial in her hand.  
  
Remus looked at her questioningly. "What is that?"  
  
"Same stuff that saved Keath. Snape sent it just in case." She replied.  
  
"A class IV?" Remus said, obviously surprised. "May I?" He reached out to take the vial and examine it out of professional curiosity. After a moment he glanced at where Sirius lay with his eyes closed and nodded. "He's going to be pissed if he finds out where that came from, and Merlin only knows what went into that stuff."  
  
Kaneene shuddered to think about it as well. "I think it's time. Will you help me?"  
  
"Of course." Remus answered, turning to go back to Sirius.  
  
Kaneene stopped him with a hand on his arm. "I'll tell him later, so don't worry about it."  
  
Remus nodded. "I'm not. I just want him alive." They went to their weakening friend.  
  
"Sirius?" Kaneene shook him a little.  
  
"Mmmm?" He opened his eyes a little.  
  
"Lorien wanted us to give you another round of restorative to help until the rest of the antidote gets here." She lied.  
  
"Do I have to?" He asked very weakly, knowing how bad the potions tasted, and still trying to joke.  
  
"Yes, here." Remus helped prop his friend up as Kaneene looked at him once more and then uncorked the small vial.  
  
She put the vial to his lips, and hoped that he'd forgive her later. Well, if he didn't at least she'd know that he was alive, and that was all that mattered to her at that point.  
  
Sirius made a face and sputtered as he swallowed the contents of the smoky violet vial. He wanted to comment about how each dose tasted worse than the last, but found that he just didn't have the strength.  
  
Remus and Kaneene looked at each other and knew exactly what the other was thinking. They were both hoping it would be enough, and waited while the minutes ticked by very slowly.**  
  
Marlina and Hermione found that together they made a pretty effective potion brewing team, and rapidly were finishing the next three cauldrons of potion. All three appeared to be the same consistency and color as the first ones, and since Snape hadn't returned yet, they decided together to take them up to the hospital via the fireplace.  
  
Everyone was greatly relieved when the two women arrived with the latest round of potion, and Poppy and Lorien rapidly cut it with the jugs of pumpkin juice that the house elves had finally brought.  
  
Keath, and Hermione helped them pass the rest of it out, and then Remus sprang from his chair to get a dose, and went directly back to Sirius with a cupful. He shook Sirius, and was relieved when the man finally opened his eyes. "Here. No arguments this time!" Remus scolded him as Kaneene helped him to get Sirius propped up with a pillow.  
  
Sirius looked at Remus questioningly.  
  
"Everyone has been treated, and there's still a full cauldron." Remus reported.  
  
"All right. Let's get this over with." He croaked, and made an awful face when he finally swallowed the potion they gave him. "Damn!" He sputtered and coughed a little. "Don't they ever taste halfway decent?"  
  
Remus grinned. "Not with crab eyes in them."  
  
Sirius looked ill again. "Did you have to tell me that part?"  
  
Remus smiled, relieved that his friend would likely recover soon. "Absolutely."  
  
"Thanks a lot, Moony." Sirius hoped that Remus would not tell him anything else that had gone into the making of the concoction he had just drunk. Little did he know that he'd be even more horrified at what had gone into the making of the previous potion he had been given.**  
  
Snape stepped back into the potions classroom to find it empty, and was relieved to know that the two women had finished and had apparently taken the potion to the infirmary straight away. That was good. It left him free for a short time to deal with another pressing issue at hand, and he swept out of the classroom and toward the Slytherin dorms. He expected that wherever he had been, Draco Malfoy would now likely have returned to the common room, and he fully intended to get to the bottom of what he knew the boy must have been involved in. The whole situation had Voldemort written all over it.  
  
It was not an unusual occurrence in the Slytherin common room for the door to slam open and for Snape to make a dramatic entrance when he was on a rampage, and the students that had returned earlier, after disaster had struck, knew that someone was in deep trouble by the way their head of house looked.  
  
Snape's gaze swept the room and came to rest on Milicent Bulstrode. "Malfoy." Was all he said as she visibly squirmed under his intense scrutiny. She pointed to the entrance to the boy's dorm, and Snape quickly crossed the room and slammed that door open as well.  
  
When he got to the room shared by the fifth years, Malfoy was laying on his bed, casually reading a Quidditch magazine as if nothing at all had happened. Snape glared at the two other occupants of the room. "Out!" He snarled, and the other two boys were gone in a flash.  
  
Malfoy looked up and arrogantly yawned as if he were bored. "Something I can help you with, Professor?" He purred.  
  
Snape crossed rapidly to where the boy had sat up, and Malfoy's smug expression was wiped clean off his face as the head of Slytherin grabbed his arm and yanked him off the bed. "How?!" He asked, snarling the word close to the boy's face.  
  
Malfoy looked furious. "How? How what?" He asked with great anger evident in his eyes.  
  
"Don't." Snape's voice was dangerously soft. "Don't even try to play that game." He warned. "I want to know HOW they got in!" He hissed. "I know you did it Malfoy. There isn't anyone else that had enough reason or enough of a connection to do it."  
  
Draco now smiled charmingly at the taller man. "I haven't the slightest..."  
  
Snape yanked him across the room. "You haven't the slightest? Well, dear Draco. Why don't we make sure you do have the slightest.....idea of just what you've done!" He pulled the blonde boy toward the fireplace and flung a handful of floo powder from a pouch inside his robes into the flames. "Great hall." Was all he said, and he yanked the boy into the fire with him.  
  
Snape stepped out of the large ornate fireplace in the great hall and flung Draco ahead of him. House elves were getting started on the enormous mess, but there was enough devastation still evident that Draco could get some sense of what had happened.  
  
He looked around and then spoke to the Potions master as he shook his head. "Tragic." Was all he said.  
  
Snape was furious and grabbed Draco again by the arm. "There's more." He snarled. "I want you to experience as much as is left for you to experience." He pulled Draco to a section of floor that remained wet. "There!" He pointed. "That is the blood of your very classmates." He pointed to a wall and then to another spot on the floor. "So is that, and that!"  
  
Malfoy was starting to look a little pale, and Snape knew he was on the right track. He knew he couldn't allow the boy to feel detached. "Come with me." He ordered, and he guided Draco to the hospital ward with a hand firmly clamped on his shoulder.  
  
Draco did his best not to appear surprised, but to Snape's satisfaction, he was obviously not prepared for the number of casualties he found before him, and Snape saw the boy go even paler at the sight. Snape gave him a minute to take it all in and then spoke in a low voice next to Draco's ear. "Keep in mind, that this is only the remnants of the destruction that you caused. All the people in here, up to a short while ago, were bleeding, hurting and crying. And Draco, they'd been poisoned and they were DYING." He paused for a moment and continued. "You now have the luxury of standing here knowing that all of these people will live."  
  
Draco continued to stare around the room, and when he finally spoke it was in a hoarse voice that was a far cry from his arrogant sneer of a short while ago. "There are so many." He croaked. "I..I didn't.."  
  
"I know." Snape answered him. "But you need to know. You need to see what the consequences of your actions are." He wasn't letting up yet, and steered the boy back out the door.  
  
He spoke again when they were in the deserted hallway together. "Draco, I'm giving you the chance to come clean right now. The truth is something you can volunteer, or as I'm sure you are aware, something that I can obtain one way or another." Snape of course was referring to the use of veritaserum, but Draco wouldn't miss the implied threat in the former Death Eater's statement.  
  
Malfoy paused for a long time, not liking any of his options. He was getting angry again. Getting caught was not supposed to be part of the bargain. The fact that his classmates, and in fact many of his housemates had almost died, was not part of the bargain. Or was it? Draco felt seriously ill as he realized the enormity of what he'd done. He leaned against the wall and put his head back.  
  
Snape watched him and then spoke again in a quiet, but not so dangerous manner. "Have the courage to admit what you did, Draco. Show them that Slytherins are not cowards."  
  
Draco didn't look at Snape as he replied. "Aren't we?" He sneered. "Hiding in a classroom on the third floor is no better than hiding behind a mask."  
  
Snape shrugged. "It doesn't have to be that way."  
  
"No? So you just walk away?" Draco asked sarcastically.  
  
"Yes." Snape replied. "You walk away. You take all of the sins, and all of the guilt and leave all of the expectations of the others behind, and you just walk away." He wasn't sure if he was referring to himself or Malfoy. Probably both.  
  
Malfoy snorted with mirthless laughter. "It's that simple, huh?"  
  
Snape looked at the boy intently for a moment and then shook his head. "But it'll be simpler now than in three years." He said. "You decide."  
  
Draco was still angry and turned to verbally attack his head of house. "So, now because of a little well-timed fatherly advice I'm supposed to stop hating you? Is that how it works, Professor?" He sneered the last word. "I'm supposed to straighten up and fly right now because of your well meaning guidance?"  
  
Snape grabbed Draco by the front of his robes and loomed over the young Slytherin. "I don't give a damn if you hate me or not, Malfoy! As a matter of fact, I want you to hate me. Hate me enough to avoid ever being anything like me. Be better than me, Draco. Hate me enough to be stronger than I was and walk away from the nightmare now!"  
  
He shoved the boy back against the wall and let go of his robes as he whirled and walked rapidly away, black robes fluttering wildly behind him.*******  
  
Okay - if anyone can tell me why my formatting has suddenly stopped being recognized by FFnet I would appreciate it. If I leave multiple return spaces between paragraphs to denote a scene change - it decides that I haven't left any, and runs everything altogether. Of all the annoying hippogriff dung! 


	33. The Headmaster's Decision

Thanks for all the reviews, gang!  
  
I'm still frustrated with the bloody formatting thing - I guess I'm going to have to send FFnet a Howler!  
  
Episcopal Witch - I love the description of Snape as simultaneously noble and obnoxious! How fitting.  
  
Scotty - glad you enjoy the story so much. To answer your question about other continents - I know for a fact that I have a whole group of Australians that read and review regularly. People from both eastern and western Canada, as well as from all over the US have added their comments. As far as other countries go - I know that I have readers in Brazil, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, New Zealand, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Scotland, and Spain. Did I miss anyone?  
  
Quote of the week. "Those dog puns are a real bitch to think up, aren't they?" - Sirius Black in 'Albus Dumbledore's Inbox' by Indigo Ziona. A highly recommended and very funny fic.***  
  
The Headmaster's Decision ~*~  
  
It was not long after the army of post owls was sent out from Hogwarts that the first parents began arriving frantically to check on their children. Each of the heads of the four houses checked in with Madame Pomfrey and Mistress Lorien to be able to give the most current updates of their house members' conditions before the parents actually went to the hospital ward.  
  
Dumbledore himself was also present in the great hall as the other available professors and staff escorted arriving families to the large room where they were given the current status of their children and the situation as it stood so far.**  
  
In the hospital wing, Lorien was completely miserable. She was dealing with each new set of parents that came in to see their child, and she had all she could do to keep all of the students straight. Poppy was having an easier time of it since she had known all the students since they had started at Hogwarts, and Lorien was grateful whenever Poppy intervened. The only bright spot was the fact that it now looked like every student would live.  
  
She had been preoccupied giving the details of the status of the no longer comatose first year to the parents for quite some time, and was relieved when the girl finally opened her eyes and her parents became engrossed in visiting with their daughter. It looked like there was no one looking for explanations at the moment and Lorien escaped to the office to take a breather for just a bit.  
  
She was just sitting down at her desk when a woman spoke to her from the doorway. "What a horrible night you all have been through."  
  
Lorien looked up at the woman with light blonde hair standing in the doorway. Another parent. She groaned inwardly. "I can't even begin to tell you." She replied. "We are very fortunate to have things turn out as they did."  
  
"Everyone is expected to recover, then?" The woman asked, apparently concerned.  
  
Lorien nodded. "Completely. We're very lucky to have such a competent and talented staff. They all handled the situation admirably."  
  
"Surely you include yourself on that list." The woman said kindly.  
  
Lorien smiled at the woman. "Can I answer any questions for you?"  
  
"Oh, no. Thank you. My son wasn't among the injured, thankfully." The woman stepped further into the office and continued speaking. "You must feel lucky to have such a knowledgeable Potions master at Hogwarts. I hear it was because of him that the victims are all still alive."  
  
Lorien nodded. "He's a lot of the reason. It was quite a team effort actually, but yes, we are very lucky to have Professor Snape here. He really is quite talented."  
  
The woman now took on a different tone of voice altogether, and she leaned casually on Lorien's desk very close to where she was as she spoke. "And I suppose no one would be in a better position to appreciate all of dear Severus's talents than you, my dear." She said in a husky whisper as she touched Lorien's arm briefly.  
  
Lorien startled at the coldness of the woman's fingers on her arm, and suddenly had a feeling of dread when she met the woman's steady gaze, and it dawned on her exactly who she had been speaking with.  
  
Narcissa Malfoy laughed when she saw the expression on Lorien's face. "Dear me. I've been so rude by not introducing myself, but then again, you already know who I am, don't you, Miss Desjardins?"  
  
Lorien nodded and spoke coolly to the woman. "I know who you are, Narcissa. Now, what is it you want?"  
  
"Want?" Narcissa asked innocently. "Why, I've merely come to make sure that my son is safe after such a tragic incident. Well, that and to warn you to be careful, Lorien." She said sweetly. "You need to be very careful about who you let get so... close to you." The woman's gaze was ice as she spoke the last words and she straightened and walked back through the doorway.  
  
Lorien hated to admit it, but the encounter left her rattled, and she sat at the desk trying to compose herself before she went back out into the main room. Narcissa could have easily done her harm before she had ever suspected that the woman was other than another concerned parent.**  
  
Draco couldn't have been more relieved to see his mother walk into his dormitory room, thinking she'd come to take him away from Hogwarts before things settled down too much, and Dumbledore had time to put two and two together.  
  
She embraced her son warmly. "How are you, my love?" She asked.  
  
"Fine." He said quickly.  
  
"You were unharmed?" She asked, tipping his chin to look into his eyes.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good. I was very worried about you." Narcissa said, smoothing her son's hair. "It was a very brave thing that you did, Draco." She whispered.  
  
Draco wasn't so sure. "Huh!" Was all he said in reply.  
  
Narcissa looked a bit surprised. "You've pleased your father immensely, and I am proud of your loyalty as well."  
  
"Great. Now let's go." Draco said tersely.  
  
"Go?" She asked. "What do you mean? You're not going anywhere, love."  
  
Draco started to get angry. "What are you saying? You're not taking me out of here?"  
  
Narcissa laughed a little. "No, of course not."  
  
"Mother, they KNOW." Draco said angrily. "Snape knows and when the headmaster finds out they're going to have my head!"  
  
"We all have sacrifices that we have to make, Draco." She said, patting his arm and turning away. "There's a good chance that you'll be needed again, and having you here at Hogwarts is just too important to take you away just yet."  
  
"But, Mother...." Draco started to protest.  
  
Narcissa turned back with her eyes blazing. "Your FATHER's instructions, Draco. Surely you don't want to disobey your father?"  
  
Draco quieted for a moment, and Narcissa changed her tone back to a sweeter one. "It's all for the greater good, son. Your father wouldn't have asked you to do this thing if he didn't think you were capable of handling the consequences."  
  
"Wonderful." Draco spat, as he realized that he was being hung out to dry.  
  
"Now," Narcissa said, embracing her son once more, "chin up." She headed for the door. "I have every confidence in you. You're a strong young wizard, Draco." She said proudly.  
  
Draco merely glared at her.  
  
"You're going to be just fine." She said. "Don't forget, after all, you're a Malfoy." She looked at him meaningfully and left.  
  
"Thanks for reminding me." Draco said caustically to the closed door. **  
  
Dawn found Lorien and Poppy still dealing with patients, and the rest of the staff still dealing with parents. As more and more of the students became well enough to leave the hospital, more parents began to leave the school.  
  
Morning wore on and by noon, Lorien was keeping an eye on all of the remaining patients after she had sent Poppy to get a little rest a few hours before. It wasn't long after that Poppy returned and insisted that Lorien take a break as well.  
  
"Everything is under control here." She said. "We don't need both of us taking up more space in the room. Now shoo!" Pomfrey tried to get her to leave.  
  
"Poppy, really. I don't mind staying a little longer." Lorien protested.  
  
"Well, I can think of at least one really good reason why you should go." Pomfrey replied. She indicated the door where Snape had just come in.  
  
Lorien turned a little red and smiled. "Alright." She said softly. "But come get me if anything happens."  
  
Severus followed Lorien into her chambers, tossed his robes on a chair, unbuttoned his shirt collar and immediately flung himself on the couch and leaned forward, pressing his palms to his eyes. Lorien noted how tired he seemed when he looked back up and spoke to her. "What do you keep on hand for headaches?"  
  
"Do you have one?" She asked tiredly, and came to stand next to where he was seated. He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, and although she hated the mark on his arm, she loved that he never tried to hide it from her anymore when they were alone.  
  
"A monster." He said, and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back against the couch. "Please tell me that we're not out of those potions as well."  
  
Lorien smiled to herself. "You don't need a silly potion." She said, moving to kneel on the cushion next to him. "You just need me." She snuggled closer.  
  
He misunderstood her intent. "Lorien, what part of 'headache' don't you understand?"  
  
She laughed at him. "That's not....Here. I'll fix it." She realized as she placed her hands gently on his head, that this was one of the few times she had done anything like this for him. Well, beyond the night of Phoenix CPR. She concentrated and it was only a minute before she could feel him start to relax.  
  
He sighed and finally opened his eyes. "Much better. Thank you."  
  
"I'm not finished." She said quietly, and she smiled when she saw him arch an eyebrow as her hands went to the remaining buttons on his shirt. He started to say something and she quieted him. "Shhhh. Relax."  
  
He complied and watched her intently as she reached the last button and undid it. She tugged his shirt open and he spoke as she slid her still warm hands across his chest. "I fail to see what this has to do with curing a headache."  
  
She was about to remark about how it had more to do with the fact that his headache was now gone, when he suddenly gasped slightly. Lorien was startled, and then alarmed as his hand went reflexively to his left arm.  
  
"Severus?" She asked tentatively, knowing what must have happened.  
  
He said nothing for a moment as he sat there gritting his teeth, face paler than normal, and then at last heaved a sigh as Lorien watched him intently.  
  
"He doesn't let up, does he?" She asked quietly.  
  
"No." Snape replied, rubbing his forearm. "I'm sure he enjoys those little reminders as to who he feels has the upper hand."  
  
She reached for his arm gently. "Does it still hurt?"  
  
He didn't answer her.  
  
Lorien ran her fingers along his arm, and frowned at the feelings seeing the Dark Mark evoked. Those feelings coupled with exhaustion crept up on her quickly, and quite suddenly she felt herself being overcome by a mix of emotions. When she looked back at Severus, she found that she was fighting back tears.  
  
He had seen something change in her expression when she touched the Mark, but he wasn't prepared for the tears. He hated it when she cried in front of him. He hated it, because he never quite knew how to deal with it. He wanted her to stop, wanted her to feel better, but never felt he knew just what the right thing to say was. "What is it?" He asked softly.  
  
Lorien exhaled a deep breath and then spoke. "I guess I'm tired, and it's all just starting to get to me a little."  
  
"What is?" He asked.  
  
She looked grave when she spoke again in a hushed voice. "Voldemort."  
  
"Voldemort?" Severus didn't hide his surprise at her candid answer.  
  
Lorien nodded. "It's becoming painfully apparent to me just how much he affects everything." She said, and she picked up his left arm again and ran her thumb along the Mark. "I hate this. I hate everything he's ever done to you, and everything he's ever caused you to do." She touched the scar below his ribcage on the right. "I hate that you almost died because of him."  
  
She stood up and continued, tears beginning to fall now. "I hate what happened at the ministry, Severus. I still have nightmares about the crash." She was becoming more emotional. "I hate the feeling I get when I think about how I believed you were dead, and I hate what happened last night. Last night was...." She sobbed and covered her mouth to prevent another one from escaping, and then suddenly his arms were around her.  
  
"Don't." He said softly into her hair as he pulled her close. "Don't let it get to you, Lorien. He wins again just a little if you start to lose faith....if you start to lose hope."  
  
She wiped her eyes and looked up into his. "I'm not losing hope, Severus. It's making me really angry."  
  
He smiled at her just a little. "In that case I would venture to say that Mr. Riddle has another problem to worry about." He was relieved when he saw that she was no longer crying. "Come." He said, taking her by the arm and leading her to the bedroom. "I think we both could use some rest."**  
  
Lorien woke several hours later while it was still light, and she ventured a look at the time. Four O'clock. She probably should check in with Poppy. Four hours sleep had been a luxury for them both at this point.  
  
"What time is it?" Severus asked, drawing her closer to him now that he knew she was awake.  
  
"Four." She replied, letting him pull her near him. "Did you sleep?"  
  
"A little." He answered.  
  
"I would think you'd have slept like a rock, after everything." She mused.  
  
"I've been thinking about the meeting." He replied.  
  
"About Draco?" Lorien asked.  
  
"Mmmhmm." He answered distractedly, still thinking about the meeting with the headmaster he had to get through. "I should go. I want to speak with Dumbledore before the other three get there." He let go of her and got up.  
  
Lorien did as well and followed him to the sitting room. After he had shrugged the black robes back on she reached up and smoothed his raven hair. "Come find me later?"  
  
He nodded silently and left. Lorien knew how heavily the issue with the younger Malfoy was weighing on him.**  
  
Snape sat in one of four chairs in front of the headmaster, along with the other three heads of house. They had been discussing what to do as far as Malfoy was concerned. Draco had volunteered the truth to the headmaster earlier in the day, and according to Dumbledore had seemed even a little remorseful. That was good. A little remorse was probably genuine. If he had been dramatically repentant, it probably would have been a lie.  
  
He looked around at the three others, gauging what their vote would be. Of course, ultimately Dumbledore would make up his own mind, but he had asked all of them for their input.  
  
"Well, what say you?" Dumbledore finally asked, and he looked at Sprout first.  
  
She sighed. "Headmaster, I have considered this all afternoon, but I'm afraid that my answer has not changed. I believe the boy should be expelled."  
  
Dumbledore nodded once in acknowledgment and turned to the Ravenclaw.  
  
Flitwick spoke up. "I have mixed feelings still. I would like to see the boy stay, honestly, but I must agree with Forsythia. I think expulsion should be part of his punishment."  
  
McGonagall was next to speak. Snape had little doubt the vote would stand at three when she answered.  
  
Minvera stared at the floor as she spoke, avoiding looking at anyone. "I believe what Mr. Malfoy has done is truly horrific. He endangered dozens of lives, aided our greatest enemy, and caused a great deal of anguish unnecessarily to a large number of families. By all rights, Draco should be expelled."  
  
Snape had expected as much until Minvera continued.  
  
"However," she said. "My recommendation is that he be allowed to stay but given strict punishment. I believe that should we expel him, his future will become very bleak indeed, and he will be more likely to cause even greater harm in the future if he walks down that road. I know how terrible this thing is that he has done, but I believe it often pays off handsomely to offer second chances to those that might take advantage of them."  
  
Snape was astounded. He fully expected the head of Gryffindor to cast her vote in favor of throwing Malfoy out. And what was that sideways glance from her as she made her last statement? Was that for his benefit?  
  
"Severus?" The headmaster was addressing him.  
  
"I believe that Minerva has accurately assessed the situation, and I agree with her. Mr. Malfoy should indeed be punished, but he should not be expelled." His eyes met McGonagall's in a brief look of mutual understanding.  
  
"Very well." Said Dumbledore. "I appreciate all of you taking the time to give me your input. I will let you know my decision shortly."  
  
All four rose to leave the room.  
  
"Severus, a word before you go?" Dumbledore requested.  
  
"Of course." Snape sat back down as the others left, and waited to see what the headmaster would say.  
  
"I have considered both sides of the coin very carefully, but I really feel that I only have one choice in this matter." Dumbledore began. "I thought that as head of his house, you should be the first to know that I will not expel him. The risks that he will run to Voldemort even faster are too great, and I believe, as I know you do, that he can still be saved."  
  
"You think so?" Snape asked.  
  
"Yes." Said Dumbledore. "I know that for many it won't be a popular decision, but it wouldn't be the first time that I kept a student that should have been expelled to further the greater good." He looked at Snape meaningfully.  
  
Snape bristled and found himself challenging the headmaster quietly. "And I suppose that you think that decision paid off?"  
  
"No question at all." Dumbledore replied steadily. "Whatever your personal feelings may be, you have to admit that we are stronger with Sirius Black on our side."  
  
Snape snorted.  
  
Dumbledore looked at him over the tops of his half-moon spectacles. "I didn't say you had to like it."  
  
"Good." Snape snipped.  
  
Dumbledore changed the subject. "I'll let the others know, and I'll inform Black and Lupin as well. I'd prefer, for now, to keep Draco's involvement from becoming known to the other staff or student body."  
  
"Lorien knows." Snape replied.  
  
"Of course," said Dumbledore. "But I believe she's trustworthy, don't you?" The blue eyes twinkled a bit. "Severus, I believe that I will leave Mr. Malfoy in your capable hands. What ever punishment you deem appropriate will be fine by me." The headmaster stood, and Snape stood with him.  
  
"I ought to turn Filch loose on him." Snape replied, only half joking.  
  
Dumbledore shrugged and smiled.**  
  
Snape left the headmaster's office and was on his way down the hall to the hospital ward when he heard a woman call his name.  
  
"Severus?"  
  
He turned. It was Kaneene Moody.  
  
"Do you have a minute?" She asked, as she caught up to him outside the infirmary door.  
  
"Of course." He said, making an effort to be polite.  
  
"I appreciate what you did for me today." She said. She paused, and then spoke again softly. "What you did for him."  
  
Snape waived a hand dismissively. "It's nothing." He said quickly.  
  
"Maybe to you, but not to me." She said firmly.  
  
Snape looked at her, a little uncomfortable with being the focus of her gratitude, and shrugged. "It's best if we lose no one." He said offhandedly, and started to turn away.  
  
"I know you don't like him." She said suddenly.  
  
He turned back to look at her.  
  
"It doesn't matter." She said. "It's a shame that things aren't more agreeable between you, but it doesn't matter. You still tried to do the right thing." She stood close to him and spoke softly. "That's what really matters, Severus. Thank you."  
  
Before Snape could react, the green eyed woman had moved forward and kissed him, and then she smiled and walked away. Snape stared after her for a moment, thinking that she really wasn't so bad for an auror. His thoughts were interrupted by a woman clearing her throat behind him, and he turned to find Lorien standing there with her arms folded. She didn't look pleased.  
  
"I let you out of my sight for one hour, and this is how I find you? Kissing another woman in the middle of the hall?" She started.  
  
Damn. She couldn't have walked into the hall a minute later? Snape knew that he had some fast explaining to do, until he saw her smile. "You actually enjoy tormenting me, don't you?"  
  
"A great deal." She said, walking up to him. "But no more than you enjoy tormenting me at times."  
  
"Lorien, you know that Kaneene was just..."  
  
"I know. She told me what you did." Lorien said, interrupting him. "Thank you." She said, putting her arms around his neck, and then she kissed him in the middle of the hall as well.*****  
  
CHALLENGE UPDATE - Birluvr has offered a two chapter little adventure with our favorite wizards that meets all the challenge requirements! Even Harry Potter says 'Harry Potter'! Go read about Snape, Black, and Lupin defending Hogwarts and Harry from the clutches of Death Eaters! 


	34. The Potions Master's Reluctant Apprentic...

I came to the conclusion the other day that I hadn't figured out which house Scott would be in if he put our friend the Sorting Hat on his head. I've already realized that both of my brothers are Gryffindors, my parents are Hufflepuffs, my boss and best friend are Ravenclaws, and most of my co- workers are Hufflepuffs, except for my surgical tech, who is a fellow Slytherin. I sat there thinking about it.  
  
Not Slytherin. (He's definitely not cunning.)  
  
Not Hufflepuff. (He's a hard worker and loyal to his friends, but that isn't what stands out.)  
  
Not Ravenclaw. (Not that he's not smart, he is - just not academically minded like a Ravenclaw.)  
  
So that left Gryffindor.  
  
Is he brave? Well, he likes snowboarding, skiing, and rock climbing, and he's gotten through some pretty tough times lately much better than most people I know would. So, yeah, brave.  
  
Chivalrous? Well, I've never had a man open doors for me the way this one does, and he helps me in and out of the truck when I'm wearing heels. The clincher for me was when he stopped along the road during a snowstorm and pulled an elderly woman's car out of the ditch with his truck, even though he was running late. (Even his impatient girlfriend had to let him off the hook for making her wait for that one.)  
  
Well, go figure. A Slytherin lass like me together with a Gryffindor!  
  
Wondering - As far as I know, none of the other staff members of Hogwarts, other than the heads of the four houses, has the house they were in mentioned.  
  
The Potions Master's Reluctant Apprentice ~*~  
  
Kaneene stood by her brother and two of her cousins, as the final steps to the powerful sealing charm were placed on the passage that led to Hogsmeade on the third floor. They had placed three of these charms along the length of the tunnel as extra insurance, and now there were no longer any secret passages in or out of the castle.  
  
Sirius sighed as he watched the opening in the witch's hump slide closed the final time. He knew that it was absolutely the best thing to maintain the security of Hogwarts, and he himself had ordered it, but that didn't mean that part of him didn't feel awful. It was like someone took away another small happy part of his youth.  
  
Brandon and Dixon returned to their rounds, and Kaneene walked Sirius back to his rooms. "Cheer up." She said. "It's not forever."  
  
"I know, K, but how long will it be?" Sirius asked, sounding uncharacteristically somber.  
  
"You're not just talking about the passage, are you?" She asked as they entered his chambers.  
  
"I guess not." He said quietly.  
  
She sat next to him. "Why so down?"  
  
"I guess being poisoned just brought everything a little closer to home again for me." He confessed. "I think part of me was hoping...." He trailed off.  
  
"What?" She asked, placing a hand on his arm.  
  
He looked at her and sighed. "I guess I was just hoping to have a longer period of peace and quiet. You know, a little time to relax and enjoy myself after getting out of Azkaban." He paused for a minute. "Kinda selfish, I know."  
  
Kaneene shook her head. "Not at all. No one deserves a little peace in their life more than you do after what you've been through." She saw the distant, haunted look in his eyes when she looked at him. "It's still with you, isn't it?"  
  
He nodded, and closed his eyes. "It's like I'm two people sometimes. I just start to feel like myself, you know, joking around and enjoying life, and then something triggers those feelings, and I feel desperate and scared all over again."  
  
She nodded. "I can understand that." She wanted him to keep talking. She knew it would be good for him to get some of it out in the open, and she wanted to do anything she could to help him.  
  
He continued. "It's always worse at night, in the dark." He said quietly. "Azkaban is so dark." He became quiet.  
  
"Sirius, can I ask you something?" Kaneene asked after a moment.  
  
He nodded.  
  
She moved a little closer to him on the couch. "How did you do it?" She asked softly.  
  
"Do what?" He asked.  
  
"Survive. I mean, all that time. A lot of people wouldn't have," she said. She knew what Azkaban did to most people.  
  
"I'd like to tell you that it was because I never gave up hope," he said, "but that would be a lie. There were plenty of times that I did, and the only thing that got me through those was hate. Anger and hate, and a desire for revenge."  
  
She let him speak without interrupting.  
  
"I wanted revenge so badly I could almost taste it at times." He said bitterly. "It became an obsession."  
  
"Pettigrew?" She asked.  
  
He glanced at her and fire blazed in the depths of the normally laughing deep blue eyes. She'd seen that look on Halloween when he'd caught Wormtail in the ministry.  
  
"Yes!" He hissed. "It's all his fault, the treacherous bastard! So much would be different today if it weren't for what he did." Sirius moaned. He continued on, becoming more distraught as he went. "We'd all be together still - me, James, Lily, Remus. All of us. Lily and James would still be alive and Harry would have his parents." He shook his head. "I never should have agreed." He leaned his forward, head in his hands.  
  
"Agreed?" Kaneene prodded gently.  
  
Sirius didn't even lift his head, but explained about being the original secret keeper and the switch that was made that allowed Peter to betray the Potters. "I knew better. I never should have let them switch. It's just as much my fault that they're dead as anyone." He said, voice choked with emotion.  
  
Kaneene grabbed his arm and jerked it sharply, causing him to finally look up at her. "Now, you listen to me, Sirius Black! I don't want to hear another word about it being your fault. There was no way you could have known what Pettigrew would do, I mean he was your friend, wasn't he?"  
  
Sirius nodded slowly. "One of my best friends."  
  
"Why wouldn't you have trusted him, then?" She asked.  
  
"I suppose..."  
  
"No supposing. You all trusted him and he's the only one to blame. The Potters weren't the only ones he betrayed that day."  
  
"You're right." He said tiredly. "You never knew who to trust at that point. Hell, for a while I didn't even trust Remus." He became distant again. "That day was awful - the worst day of my life." Sirius said, apparently caught up in the painful memory. "I can't even begin to tell you what it was like to stand there and see the remains of their house..." He stopped as he continued to stare blankly at a point in space, and then after a bit continued on.  
  
"It was surreal." He said. "I could stand there and look at the blasted remains; I could touch them, smell them, and yet I still couldn't believe it. I stood there forever, it seemed, until it finally hit me. Harry was ok, but Lily and James were gone. Dead." He uttered the last word as a whisper as he stared into nothingness.  
  
Kaneene spoke to him tenderly as she draped her arm around him. "When did you know it was Peter?"  
  
Sirius looked back at her with obvious pain in his eyes. "It didn't take me long. I knew that was the only way that Voldemort could have found them. It was just that the shock of realizing what he'd done was more agony on top of everything else. I knew that I'd lost three of my four best friends that night. Lily and James were dead, and Peter I'd lost to the dark."  
  
Kaneene just sat quietly with her arm around him for a few long minutes and then he spoke again. "Do you know what it's like to want to kill someone?" He looked at her with a haunted expression. "I mean, really, really want them dead?"  
  
Kaneene had to admit she did not. She shook her head, but said nothing.  
  
"I do." He said in a whisper. "And I almost did it too."  
  
"I don't think you really would have done it, Sirius. Besides, I wouldn't have let you." Kaneene replied.  
  
"No, that's not when I meant." Sirius said, smiling a little at the thought that perhaps the decision to not kill Peter did hadn't rested as much in his hands as he thought last Halloween. He told her about the night in the shrieking shack two years ago, and how very close Wormtail had come to meeting his demise at his and Remus's hands.  
  
"Remus hated him at that moment too. I know he wanted him dead. Remus loved Lily and James as much as I did, and after that Halloween he lost all of us because of Peter." Sirius shook his head. "Poor Remus, he ended up without any of us."  
  
Sirius was thoughtful for a moment. "I've never seen Moony hate anyone like that before. I mean, he even thinks Snape has redeeming qualities."  
  
"I take it you don't?" Kaneene asked, knowing she was opening a whole new can of worms.  
  
"Huh!" Sirius snorted. "I'll let you know if I find one."  
  
"I have to say that I don't understand that whole situation." Kaneene admitted, knowing at some point she was going to have to tell him about the class IV restorative potion, and not relishing the thought.  
  
"What's there to understand? The man was a Death Eater. He was one of the very reasons that Voldemort became so powerful." Sirius snapped.  
  
"Yes, but you hated him before that." Kaneene accused him softly.  
  
"That I did." He said defiantly.  
  
"Easy. I'm not attacking you, Sirius. I just wish I could understand why you feel the way you do." She said soothingly. She hesitated and then spoke more tenderly. "I'd like to understand a lot more about you."  
  
Sirius's expression softened. "You would?"  
  
"Yes. I'm glad that you told me everything you did, tonight. It helps me to understand things better." She said. "I still find it amazing that you made it through all that time. I've been to Azkaban, and I can't take much more than being there for about half an hour." Kaneene smiled at him finally. "Of course, now that I know how stubborn you are about some things, I can understand it better."  
  
"Me?" Sirius said, feigning innocence. "Stubborn?"  
  
Kaneene rolled her eyes at him. "Just a bit." She said sarcastically.  
  
Sirius laughed. "I guess, maybe. Oh, and I had one more little trick up my sleeve." He said, his tone just a little lighter.  
  
"What was that?" Kaneene asked curiously.  
  
She suddenly found herself face to face with the great black dog, sitting on the cushion next to her. She smiled at him and tentatively reached out to touch the large head.  
  
"Woof!" He let out a sharp bark and she let go a short cry and jumped as he startled her. Sirius was once again sitting on the couch next to her, laughing.  
  
"Prat!" She punched him in the arm. "You startled me."  
  
"Ow! Come on, you have to admit that was funny." He said.  
  
"It was not." But she was already laughing.  
  
He smiled as he saw her give in, and enjoyed the fact that he could make her laugh. He watched her for a moment longer and then sobered. He started to realize then just how much he cared about the woman sitting next to him, and it dawned on him how much he wanted to be close to her. Very close to her. Merlin! It had been so long since he was even this close to anyone.  
  
Kaneene stopped laughing when she saw the way Sirius was looking at her. "What?" She asked, concerned. She reach out to place a hand against his cheek.  
  
Sirius closed his eyes as he placed his own hand over hers and simply sat and enjoyed the feel of her touch against his face. After a moment he pulled her hand away a little and pressed his lips against her palm. When he looked at her again, he drew her closer to him by the hand that he held, and then slid his other arm around her.  
  
Kaneene didn't resist in the least, and she kissed him back tenderly as his lips met hers. Their second kiss carried a little more fire in it, and by the third one she had swung one leg over his lap, and was kneeling, straddling him on the couch as she pushed him back against the cushions and kissed him hungrily.  
  
Sirius was about to say something about maybe moving to the next room, but the fact that Kaneene was now nibbling on his neck and ripping the front of his shirt open made him decide that he ought to just keep his mouth closed. He didn't resist at all when she pushed him down to lay on the couch, and he smiled at her when she leaned down over him to kiss him again. "Why, Miss Moody, there you go being forward again." He said.  
  
She eyed him for a moment. "Are you complaining?" She teased.  
  
"Not at all," he answered with a grin.  
  
She leaned down to whisper in his ear. "We have a deal, you and I."  
  
"We do?" He asked.  
  
"Yes. You survived the poison, didn't you?" She asked with a slightly crooked smile.  
  
Sirius nodded and grinned. "So, this is where things get more interesting?" He asked.  
  
"Definitely." She said, as he pulled her tightly down against him. She kissed him in a way that made him hardly notice when they tumbled together, still passionately engaged, onto the floor. **  
  
It ended up that Draco alternated nights in detention with Filch and Hagrid for the next three weeks. Snape chose Filch for the man's talent at devising suitably unpleasant tasks for the students to perform, and Hagrid purely because he knew the boy was immensely irritated by the man.  
  
In addition to the detentions he handed out, Snape also put Malfoy to work on the weekends, making sure that all of his free time was being utilized in a constructive capacity. The ordeal with the mangabey attack had left the medical ward depleted of many of the potions it needed to have on hand, and Snape was damned if he was going to do all of the work replacing them himself. Malfoy in fact, did possess the predisposition to be a talented potion brewer, and Snape kept him for hours to prepare most of the ingredients needed for the restoratives, painkillers, and bezoar derivatives.  
  
Draco had set about preparing a particularly long list of ingredients one night during his punishment, and was engrossed in finely chopping a pile of valerian when Lorien entered the room. He could see that she was a little surprised to find him there, and that obviously he wasn't who she was looking for. He didn't particularly like the woman since the day she had taken points from his house for calling Granger a mudblood, and since she was one of those pathetic treehugging nature children. He kept his tone civil as he spoke to her, but didn't attempt to keep the sarcasm out of his manner since Snape was not around at present.  
  
"Good evening, Mistress Lorien." He drawled. "Looking for your...boyfriend?"  
  
Lorien knew enough not to let the boy get to her, and she walked to where he was working as she returned a polite greeting that she knew would irritate him as well. "Ben Notan, Draco." She said. "And I believe the appropriate term would be 'paramicaan'," she said, giving him the Nemorosi term for a lover or close companion.  
  
Draco didn't even try to refrain from rolling his eyes. "Whatever. He'll be back shortly."  
  
Lorien looked at the pile of components on the table next to him with mild surprise. Evidently Severus was letting Malfoy help ready the ingredients for the wolfsbane potion. She picked up some of the plant he was working on and smelled it. "Valerian?" She asked Draco.  
  
"Yes. He gave me some monster list earlier, and I've been stuck here all evening getting this stupid stuff ready." He replied.  
  
"It's not stupid, Draco, and I think you should actually take this as a sign that your head of house has quite a bit of faith in your abilities." Lorien said.  
  
"Why? Because he let me chop leaves for him for two hours?" Draco sneered.  
  
"No." She laughed a little. "You don't know what you're working on, do you?"  
  
"Some other potion for the hospital I imagine." He sighed.  
  
"Draco, read the list again." She said, indicating the parchment on the end of the table.  
  
He frowned at her for a second, and then picked up the parchment to read Snape's writing. Dragonroot, mandrake, mistletoe, primrose - stabilizing and enhancing components for a lot of potions.  
  
"Keep reading." She said when he looked up.  
  
Draco jumped a bit further down the list. Valerian, passionflower infusion, betony, wolfsbane. "Wolfsbane!" He said with surprise. "You mean to tell me that all this work that I've done is to help that.. that beast?" He knew he had said the wrong thing the moment the word escaped his lips.  
  
Lorien was angry, but did her best not to show it. "That beast," she said quietly, "for the other twenty-seven and a half days a month, is one of the most worthwhile people I know, Mr. Malfoy. I believe you would do quite well were you to strive to be more like Professor Lupin, than some of the people that have obviously influenced you in the past."  
  
Draco gave her a scowl that was a pretty good imitation of the Potion master's.  
  
"Besides," she continued, softening her tone again. "This potion keeps him from becoming a beast. You know that. It'll be good for you to do something to contribute to the safety of the student body, don't you think?"  
  
"I guess so." He agreed reluctantly.  
  
"Good." She said. "You have a long way to go to make up for what you did, but it's good to see you trying." She spoke kindly and placed a hand on his arm for just a moment.  
  
She smiled at him, and Draco curiously found himself a tiny bit pleased that she approved of anything he did. So, was that what it was like for Snape? Did he get the same feeling when this woman gave him that smile? When she approved of what he did?  
  
Snape's entrance into the room interrupted Draco's musings, and he watched the interaction between the man and his, what did she say, 'paramicaan'?  
  
Snape gave Lorien a glance and his customary monthly greeting. "Why am I not surprised to find you here?" He spoke sternly, but it was now a bit of a game.  
  
Lorien walked away from Draco and went to Severus. "I assure you it is not due to any lack of faith in you, memory or otherwise."  
  
"Huh." He snorted at her a little.  
  
"I'll be going now." She said quietly. "I'll just leave you men to your work, shall I?"  
  
"Very well." Severus said, knowing he would find her later. "Ben notan, Sylvanesti."  
  
Draco rolled his eyes where he stood.  
  
Lorien stepped very close to the dark robed man before her. "Ben notan, Paramicaan." She said, and then surprised him by kissing him quickly before she left.  
  
Draco thought he was going to be ill.  
  
Snape stood there for a minute, caught off guard by the fact that she would kiss him in front of a student, and wondering what she had just called him. He was snapped out of his contemplation when Draco spoke to him.  
  
"It's a term of endearment that she considers more appropriate than 'boyfriend'." He explained, a look of amusement at the Potions master's discomfort on his face.  
  
Snape walked quickly to where he was and spoke sternly. "I had no idea that you were such a fan of the Nemorosi culture, Mr. Malfoy."  
  
Draco smiled wickedly. "Evidently not as much as you."  
  
Snape glared at him.  
  
Malfoy was already serving so much time, he didn't care about risking another snide comment. "I never thought I would ever see YOU hanging on a woman's every word like a dog waiting for a bone."  
  
Snape met his gaze and spoke frankly. "Mr. Malfoy, I thank Merlin that a woman such as that even takes the time to speak such words to me."  
  
Draco opened his mouth and made as if to gag himself with a finger.  
  
"I hope I live to see the day when you finally understand what I'm talking about." Snape said with an exasperated sigh. "Shall we get to work?"  
  
"Fine." Draco said, unenthusiastically.  
  
Snape prepared the wolfsbane himself, and then went about examining the rest of Malfoy's work. He pointed to the pile of shredded mandrake. "This is very good. It has to be just right for this potion."  
  
"It ought to be. I've shredded enough damn mandrake this week." Draco replied.  
  
Snape continued his inspection, nodding his approval at each well-prepared component. He frowned at one point. "No, no, this is wrong. You have to have everything in the correct order, Draco. Wormwood is added after the Hypericum, not before." Snape moved the vial of green liquid.  
  
"Ok." Draco said, mildly interested.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, the components are added in three basic groups, do you understand what they are?" Snape asked.  
  
Draco thought about it. "I think so. The first third contains all of the enhancing and stabilizing components of the potion."  
  
"Explain." Snape said, folding his arms and looking expectant.  
  
"Well, Dragonroot is one of the most powerful stabilizing agents there is. Mandrake is one of the most powerful restorative and enhancing components." Draco spoke his thoughts out loud.  
  
"What comes next?" Snape asked without expression.  
  
"The five sisters." Draco replied confidently.  
  
"Which are?"  
  
"Herbs that increase the potency of the potion." Draco replied, beginning to enjoy this a little.  
  
"Name them." Snape directed.  
  
"Mistletoe, primrose, henbane, pulsatilla, and clover." Draco said quickly.  
  
"Tell me about the second group." Snape ordered quietly.  
  
"Symptomatic treatment for the side effects of the transformation. Skullcap for joint pain, bugbane for headache, infusion of willow bark for discomfort..."  
  
"And the last group?" Snape cut him off.  
  
"The components that interfere with the transformation of the mind." Draco replied, a tiny bit of smugness in his voice.  
  
"Correct." Snape said. "Why are the three groups added in the order they are?"  
  
Draco faltered, and Snape spoke again. "You will please have an answer when I am finished." Snape picked up the dragonroot and began.  
  
Draco had been on a roll, but now Snape had stumped him. He didn't like not having the answer, and he pondered the question as he watched the Potions master work. He was adding the components of the first group, and the one thing that Draco realized was odd, was the fact that these were the first components. Normally all of the enhancing and stabilizing ingredients went in last in most potions. There had to be something to that.  
  
Draco mulled it over for a long time, and as Snape added two drops of the wormwood infusion, and the potion went gray, Draco began to debate why the symptomatic treatments were added before the ones that combated the transformation. Well, the transformation of the wolf's mind at least. Why? Why, why, why?  
  
He considered several plausible reasons, but none seemed to be what he was looking for as he watched Snape add the belladonna. It was the first component of the third group. They should by all rights go first, then the second group and then the stabilizing agents. This seemed backwards altogether.  
  
The groups were backwards.  
  
Draco grabbed the list. What if he placed the components in each group in reverse order? That would start with wolfsbane, and end with dragonroot, which would make sense. The potion would then interfere with mind altering, deal with symptoms, and then be enhanced. The potion already acted that way, it just wasn't put together that way....because it was a reversal potion.  
  
Draco had to keep from hitting himself in the head. Most potions were created to induce some sort of effect, but the wolfsbane potion, like other reversal potions, was made to counteract or reverse the effects of another potion or other form of magic. It was kind of like an antidote, and the magical potency of an antidote was always enhanced by brewing it backwards.  
  
Draco smiled and waited.  
  
Snape finally cast in the wolfsbane and finished as the potion cleared and then steam began to rise. He looked at Draco expectantly.  
  
Draco had his answer. "It's a reversal potion, so it's brewed backwards." He said, obviously pleased with himself. "Rather an antidote of sorts."  
  
Snape nodded. "Correct, Mr. Malfoy. Very good. Ten points to Slytherin." Snape said, pleased that Draco had worked out the answer.  
  
Draco would have been in a good mood for the rest of the night if it weren't for what Snape said next.  
  
"Now, Draco, speaking of antidotes," Snape said. "Mistress Lorien has advised me that she and Madame Pomfrey would like to keep at least a small amount of Culpeper's derivative on hand in the hospital. Since it was all used to treat the remaining patients, we shall have to make more."  
  
"Tonight?" Draco didn't like where this was going.  
  
"No, tomorrow." Snape replied. "However, there are certain ingredients that need to be replenished before we'll be able to complete the potion, so after you finish preparing the individual doses of the wolfsbane potion, and take it to the hospital wing, I'm going to put you back to work."  
  
Snape stabbed a small sharp knife into the table with a 'thunk', and Draco jumped a little and then eyed it with unease. "What's that for?" He asked, not really wanting to know.  
  
"Why, let me show you." Snape purred. He knew that Draco was now painfully familiar with the potion's makeup. He led Draco across the room to a large wooden barrel with a lid, and lifted it. "There should be enough in here for one batch of the potion, so I don't think you'll need to do a second barrel."  
  
Draco peering in at the dozens of crabs that were staring back at him from the depths of the barrel. He felt suddenly very queasy.  
  
"Well, best if you get to it right away." Snape said, almost cheerfully.  
  
"I have to do all of them myself?" Draco croaked.  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
"What do I do with....with the rest of them?" Malfoy asked.  
  
"Why, I think that should be obvious." Replied Snape. "Take them to the kitchen." He turned and started for the door.  
  
Draco was sure that his stomach heaved at least once. He watched the Potions master leaving. "Where are you going?"  
  
Snape turned from the door to answer. "Not that it's really any of your business Mr. Malfoy, but I am going to hang on more of the words of that lovely creature that was here earlier." He said.  
  
Draco recovered a bit of his sarcastic attitude and rolled his eyes again. "Hoping she'll toss you a bone, huh?" He asked flippantly.  
  
"I rather expect that it might go the other way." Snape replied wryly.  
  
The Potions master let the door close, and Draco stood there with his mouth open, trying desperately to rid himself of the image that he just had painted for him. He guessed he'd just have to add it up with his other punishments.**  
  
A/N: Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I know that was probably over the line, but how could I resist a comment from Severus when Draco feeds him an opening like that? (Naughty author! Bad!)  
  
And remember that one of the major components of Culpeper's bezoar derivative is crab's eyes! 


	35. Harry's Request

Arwen Black - Welcome O lover of Tolkien and Rowling!  
  
A/N: A little bit of RJL for you, and another lesson for Harry.  
  
Quote of the week: "Now, if you don't mind, and even if you do, please take your quivering little snout out of my affairs." Snape to Lupin in "Seeing Grey" by Iggie, a fine roller coaster ride of a fic that chronicles the life and angst of RJL through his school years.*****  
  
~*~At approximately four in the afternoon, Snape apparates outside the familiar little brown house near the coast of Maine that he has come to know well, and hesitates for a moment before climbing the steps. A quick glance at the house across the street confirms that Nytd's elderly neighbor, Mrs. McEwan is, as usual, peering out between her curtains to spy on the odd happenings at number 11.  
  
He waives briefly at the woman who utters a shriek muffled by the window pane and disappears into the depths of the house. Snape shakes his head and mutters something to himself about 'daft old muggles'.  
  
He knows that poor Mrs. McEwan is considered daft by the local authorities as well for all the reports that she has filed about the things she allegedly has witnessed happening at number 11. Flying motorcycles, disappearing people, and small blue-green dragons have all been called in to the local police.  
  
Of course, each time the police arrive at the house, the door is only answered by the young studious-looking veterinarian that lives there or occasionally her grandfather (with the long white beard) or one of her cousins (distinguished teachers visiting from Oxford University). Nothing could appear to be more normal, and so Mrs. McEwan, who is perfectly sane and has excellent eyesight, has been labeled as a batty old nearsighted coot.  
  
Snape knocks once as a courtesy, and then lets himself in, wondering if Nytd will be happy to see him. His busy schedule at Hogwarts and many meetings with J K Rowling have left him little time for his muggle ladyfriend as of late, and he hopes that she's the understanding type. (Most likely she is since she doesn't have any hang-ups about spending time in the company of a werewolf and an escaped convict.)  
  
He heads down the hallway toward the kitchen, hearing Nytd talking to someone in an animated fashion. He frowns to himself when he realizes that the voice that answers her is male, and quickens his pace when he hears her laughing. It certainly can't be Lupin or Black since they're not due back for another day or so, and Snape finds that the thought that she might actually be spending time with some (boring) muggle bothers him more than he'd care to admit.  
  
Snape sweeps into the kitchen and stops short as Nytd looks up from where she's seated at the kitchen table with her guest.  
  
"Oh hello, Severus." She says brightly. "Care to join us?" she offers from where she is having afternoon tea with none other than Lucius Malfoy.*******  
  
Harry's Request ~*~  
  
Things had returned to some degree of normalcy, and Lorien waited patiently for Harry to arrive for their next lesson a week after the mangabey attacks, but after a while she began to wonder if he had forgotten. She didn't think that was likely, since he was progressing so well, and he was usually quite enthusiastic and punctual. She began to worry that something was wrong until she poked her head into the hallway. She smiled to herself and understood why the boy was late, now that she had seen him strolling along engaged in conversation with Ginny Weasley. She stepped back into the classroom so he wouldn't see her, and waited for him to finally arrive.  
  
When Harry at last came rushing into the room full of apologies, Lorien found that she just couldn't help herself, and she folded her arms across her chest, drumming her fingers on her elbow, and gave Harry her best impersonation of her paramicaan. "I assume, Mr. Potter, that you have a reasonable explanation for why I have been standing here wasting my time?" She wanted to scare him a little to see if he would mention the girl.  
  
Harry grinned at her, knowing that she wasn't really mad. "That was pretty good, Sylvani." He said. "You sounded just like him."  
  
"Really?" She asked, dropping all pretense of being annoyed.  
  
"Yeah, it's a little scary how well you do him." Harry said. "All you have to do now is get down the part about 'the subtle science and exact art' and you'll have the first years running for cover."  
  
Lorien smiled. She knew that Snape's first year speeches were legendary. "So, Harry," she asked, "was that Ginny Weasley that made you late for your lesson?" She was teasing him, and she saw Harry's face turn a fairly bright shade of red as he nodded.  
  
Harry smiled shyly. "She was telling me how Sirius saved her from being attacked by one of those mangabeys."  
  
"Is that how he was wounded?" Lorien asked, unaware of the story.  
  
"Yes." Said Harry. "He jumped between them in canine form."  
  
"Your godfather is a very brave man, Harry." She said. "A bit stubborn about some things, but there's no question about his devotion to those he's close to or his courage."  
  
Harry smiled at her assessment of Sirius.  
  
Lorien changed the subject finally. "Shall we do some work?"  
  
Harry nodded, relived that she wasn't going to ask him any more questions about Ginny.  
  
"How about trying some offensive spells?" Lorien asked. Most of what she had taught him so far were defensive and summoning spells, and she was beginning to think that Harry might need something more aggressive in his wandless arsenal.  
  
"Let's try a fire blast." She looked around the room for a moment until she saw the old cloak hanging near the door. Quickly she gabbed the coat rack and draped the cloak over it, and tansfigured it into a sort of scarecrow. "There, that ought to make a suitable target." She said.  
  
She demonstrated the way to summon a small ball of fire and hurl it at one's opponent, and then stepped forward to extinguish the flaming dummy.  
  
"That was so cool!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Try it." She encouraged, and Harry moved to stand in front of the target.  
  
Lorien frowned at Harry's repeated attempts that resulted in him tossing a handful of sparks at the vaguely human form. He definitely wasn't getting this one. She needed to explain it better. Or maybe... She had an idea. "Harry, I think this calls for a different approach. Instead of calming yourself and focusing all your energy, I want you to think of something that really makes you angry, and then channel that anger into the spell."  
  
Harry thought for a minute. The fact that Ginny had almost been hurt by one of those monsters made him angry. He threw a larger handful of sparks.  
  
"Keep going." Lorien encouraged.  
  
Harry thought about it. The fact that so many people had been hurt by something the Death Eaters were responsible for made him madder. He threw a small handful of flame at the target.  
  
"What else?" Lorien asked, prodding him to dig deeper for something that angered him.  
  
Harry continued. The Death Eaters made him mad, but it was really all due to Voldemort. He flamed the arm of the makeshift dummy.  
  
"Good! Keep going." Lorien said.  
  
Harry held onto his hate of Voldemort. Everything in his life had been affected by that monster. His scar plagued him frequently, quidditch had been canceled, the school was no longer completely safe, people had almost died. Well, MORE people had almost died. Cedric had died because of Voldemort. Harry flamed the second arm of the scarecrow.  
  
His parents had died because of Voldemort.  
  
Harry once again felt the rage that always accompanied that thought, and when he hurled the spell it was accompanied by a cry of anguish, and the target dummy blew apart in shower of flaming bits.  
  
Lorien stepped out of the way of the shower of wood shards that were on fire, and looked with great surprise at Harry. She extinguished the nearby desk that had caught fire in the blast and then spoke. "Care to share what prompted that?"  
  
Harry was still breathing rapidly when he looked back at her with great intensity in the green eyes. "Voldemort." Was all he said. It was all he needed to say for Lorien to understand.  
  
"Funny thing, that," she said, not amused in the least, "but I feel the same way when I think about him." She whirled around, and a second later the damaged desk in front of them evaporated when she blasted it into flaming oblivion.  
  
Harry waited for a minute and then spoke to her again. "There's something else I want you to teach me." He said.  
  
"What is it, Harry?" She asked softly.  
  
"Lightning." He said, and her eyes went wide. "I want to learn to summon lightning."  
  
She could see he was actually quite serious. "Harry, I don't think..."  
  
"Please, Sylvani. I really think I'm ready." Harry pleaded.  
  
She wasn't as certain that he was, but she smiled to herself as she listened to him go on with his attempts to persuade her. He sounded like her when she had requested the same thing from Perth all those years ago.  
  
"Really. I've been practicing all the time. You know I summoned the rains the night of the party?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, Remus told me about how you drenched the area around the tower." She said proudly.  
  
"You know how much I've improved. I can do a lot of spells that I use everyday without a wand now." Harry continued.  
  
Lorien wasn't swayed. She shook her head and could see the disappointment in Harry's eyes.  
  
"You don't think I can do it?" He asked, sounding hurt.  
  
"I think you probably could, but it's a very dangerous spell, Harry. I'm just not sure that...."  
  
"I'm ready!" He said, interrupting her. "Really, I am. I just know it!"  
  
"Harry! Let me finish," she scolded and then smiled. "I was about to say that I don't know if I'm ready. I've never taught anyone that summoning before, and although I can do it myself to some small degree, I'm not really sure that I feel confident enough to show you."  
  
Harry looked devastated.  
  
"I'm sorry, Harry," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You really need to learn it from someone that has mastered it better than I have, and can teach it to you safely. Someone like Perth." She said. " The next time he visits me at Hogwarts I'll ask him, ok?"  
  
Harry nodded, still obviously very disappointed. "Ok." He said sullenly.  
  
"Why don't we call it a night?" She asked gently. "You'll practice what you've learned so far over the break?"  
  
Harry looked puzzled. "You won't be around to help me?" he asked. He had hoped to get in some extra lessons during the week long holiday.  
  
She smiled. "No, I'm going to be off visiting Perth and some of the other Nemorosi elders."  
  
Harry's eyes opened wider. "Really?"  
  
Lorien already knew what he was thinking.  
  
"I could go with you!" Harry suggested enthusiastically.  
  
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Harry." Lorien began. "It might not be safe."  
  
"Sure it would. You'll be there." Harry said. "Not only that, but where else could be safer than with a bunch of Nemorosi elders around?"  
  
He had a point there, but there was more to it than that. "Harry, you'll have school work."  
  
"I'll finish it before break." He promised.  
  
"I don't think Sirius will approve." Lorien tried.  
  
"Oh, come on." Harry pleaded. "You know we can talk him into it! Then I can meet your mentor! We can ask him about the lightning!"  
  
Harry was probably right, but Lorien hesitated to tell Harry the main reason she didn't think he should go.  
  
Harry got quiet. "You don't want me to go with you, do you?" The teenager sounded hurt again.  
  
"Harry, it's not that at all. Normally, I'd love for you to go with me. I think it would be good for you."  
  
"Then why won't you let me go?" He asked.  
  
She sighed and told him. "Harry, I'm not going to the Council alone."  
  
"So?" He asked. "What does...." It finally occurred to him what she meant and he frowned. "HE's going with you?"  
  
She nodded. "So, now you understand why I don't think you should go. It might prove to be unpleasant for you if you did."  
  
Harry weigh this over in his mind, considering how much he wanted to go and possibly learn the lightning spell, and how little he wanted to spend any of his free time with the irritable Potions master. He finally set his jaw and looked her in the eye. "If you'd agree to allow me to accompany you, Sylvani, I would very much like to go," he said. "I can handle it if he can," he added determinedly.  
  
Lorien finally laughed at the boy's steely show of determination. Harry was a true Gryffindor. "Well, if you want to learn the spell so badly that you're considering spending your holiday with Professor Snape, I'd say that you deserve the chance."  
  
"Wicked!" Harry cried.  
  
"Now, hold on." Lorien said. "Two conditions. First, you can only go if Sirius agrees."  
  
Harry grinned. "I'll talk him into it, you'll see."  
  
"And second," Lorien began, "only if I can persuade Professor Snape."  
  
Harry nodded. "Fair enough."  
  
"Harry, those are two pretty big 'ifs'." She said.  
  
"You can do it." He said with a smile.  
  
"I'll do my best," she sighed, "but.."  
  
"I have confidence in you, Sylvani atora. It's practically a done deal." Harry said.  
  
"You're absolutely charming when you want something, Harry Potter." She teased him.  
  
Harry walked to the door and teased his mentor back. "I think you'll do fine. I hear he has a thing for blondes." He scooted out the doorway.  
  
Lorien ran to the door and called after the laughing teenager. "And I hear your father wasn't the only Potter with a thing for redheads!"  
  
She laughed at her exchange with the student, and then sobered, wondering how she was ever going to convince Severus to agree to what she now needed to propose.**  
  
Marlina just couldn't concentrate on what she was saying any longer, and she decided that after she answered the next few questions, she would let class out a little early.  
  
There were no complaints from her students, of course, and she watched them cheerfully pour out of the classroom early.  
  
She, herself, left the classroom right behind them and hurried to Remus's rooms. Once again, Lorien was just leaving when she arrived, and she eyed the blonde woman coolly as they faced each other in the hall. "Hello, Lorien," she said in an icy voice. She didn't care to have the attractive healer close to Remus so much.  
  
"Good afternoon, Professor." Lorien returned politely, but with just as little warmth. She hadn't gotten past the woman calling her a bitch the night of the werewolf hunt. Lorien continued down the hall as Marlina went into Remus's rooms.  
  
"Hi, Marlie." He said, and got up from the couch to greet her.  
  
Marlina kissed him hello, but he could tell that something was distracting her. "What's up?" He asked as she glanced back at the door.  
  
"Nothing." She said, and then smiled at him. "It's nothing."  
  
"If it's nothing, then it should be no big deal for you to tell me what it is, right?" He teased.  
  
She sighed. "This is going to sound so petty, Remus."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's about Lorien." She said.  
  
"Lorien?" Remus asked.  
  
Marlina nodded. "I can't believe I'm going to tell you this." She hesitated and then answered his questioning look. "I don't like her being around you so much."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me. I guess I might be the jealous type." She said quietly.  
  
"Marlie, I assure you that you have no reason to be jealous of Lorien." Remus said. "She's a good friend and she goes out of her way to help with my migraines. That's all"  
  
"I know that you're probably right, but I just can't help this feeling that she has a thing for you." She pouted a little. "I don't like it."  
  
Remus groaned inwardly. It was time Marlina knew. It hadn't ever come up in conversation before, and it wasn't very well the type of thing you just announced one day out of the blue.  
  
"Marlie, there's something I have to tell you." He said.  
  
"I knew it! You have a thing for her too, don't you?" Marlina accused him angrily.  
  
"Marlina." Remus tried to get her attention.  
  
"Well, and why not? Cute little blonde thing like that with her hands all over you whenever you get a headache.."  
  
"Marlina!"  
  
She stopped and looked at him.  
  
"I don't have a thing for Lorien," he said.  
  
"No?" She asked, relieved to hear what he was saying.  
  
"No, but I did."  
  
Marlina frowned again. "You did?"  
  
"Yes, and you were right about her. She did have a thing for me as well."  
  
"You mean you two were..."  
  
"Yes, all last fall." He admitted. "It was over by the first of the year."  
  
Marlina felt a mix of emotions at his announcement. "How did it end?" She asked.  
  
He sighed aloud. "She ended it." He said quietly. "She left to be with Severus."  
  
Marlina was relieved that Lorien was no longer interested in Remus, and then suddenly mad that she must have done something to hurt him. "She what?"  
  
Remus gave her a very condensed version of what had transpired between the three of them.  
  
"That bitch." Remus's story had done nothing to warm up Marlina's attitude toward the Nemorosi healer.  
  
"Please, Marlie. There's nothing left of that part of our relationship, but she and I will always be good friends. I don't want you to feel so hostile toward her." He said.  
  
"I'm sorry." She said. "I guess I was jealous at first and now I feel a bit protective about you. I can't help it."  
  
Remus put his arms around her. "You can feel protective of me all you want. I have to admit that I like it." He teased. "Just don't condemn Lorien yet, ok?"  
  
"I guess." She said, pouting a little again.  
  
"Will you at least try and give her a chance?" Remus asked, pulling her closer.  
  
Marlina nodded. "I'll try."  
  
"Thank you." Remus said, and kissed her for a long moment. "Now," he said as he pulled away, "just so there are no other issues.. I still love her, but now it's only as a dear friend, and you, Marlie, are not just a rebound relationship for me. I have very strong feelings for you, and I hope that you feel the same way about me."  
  
Marlina blinked at him in amazement for spilling his guts. She finally smiled at him. "I do feel the same way, Remus. You know that."  
  
"Good. Then everything's settled, right? No loose ends?" he asked.  
  
She shrugged. She hoped there wasn't anything else.  
  
"Questions?" he asked, looking expectant.  
  
"No." She said. He'd explained what she needed to know.  
  
"Comments?" he asked once more.  
  
"No." She laughed.  
  
"Good. Now get out." He said softly.  
  
Marlina laughed at him.  
  
"No, really. Marlie, you need to go," he said seriously.  
  
"So soon?" She asked, alarmed.  
  
He pointed out the window at the setting sun.  
  
"Remus, I..." She didn't finish and flung her arms around his neck, crushing him in a protective embrace. She didn't let go when Sirius knocked and then entered.  
  
Remus extracted himself reluctantly from her arms and led her to the door.  
  
"It's ok, Marlina. "I'll take good care of him." Sirius said reassuringly.  
  
Marlina nodded and then allowed Remus to gently guide her through the door.  
  
"Oh, Marlie? I guess there is one thing I haven't told you." He said as she stepped into the hall.  
  
She looked back at him. "What's that?"  
  
"It's about Sirius," he said with a wink. "I still have a thing for him.".  
  
"That's right," called Sirius from behind Remus. "You might get him the rest of the time, but come the full moon, and for one night he's all mine, love." He grabbed Remus from behind and planted a big kiss on his cheek.  
  
"Get off me!" Remus laughed and swatted at Sirius and then turned back to Marlina who was laughing at their antics. "I'll see you in the morning." He kissed her once more and then shut and locked the door.**  
  
The headmaster stood in his office, gazing out the window and stroking the crimson feathers of the bird next to him distractedly as he was lost in thought. He didn't like the news that had been brought to him by the last owl.  
  
Evidently several of Cornelius Fudges' own staff had been taken by Death Eaters two days before in London, and the most concerning part was that no ultimatum had yet been issued. Fudge seemed convinced that he was dealing with a hostage situation, and still waited for demands. Dumbledore knew better than to be that hopeful.  
  
He'd asked Snape's opinion on the likelihood that the three men were still alive, and Severus had echoed his own feelings of dread when he'd simply shaken his head in silence.  
  
Dumbledore sighed and spoke to the phoenix. "It's happening all over again, Fawkes." He sat at his desk to send a response to Fudge, and his eyes went to yet another letter that sat there as well. Another parent had called their student home, concerned about the safety of their daughter while she was at Hogwarts with everything that was beginning to manifest in the news.  
  
He didn't blame them after the mangabeys infiltrated the castle, but he knew it was a mistake. There was still no place safer for a student to be than this very spot, but how did he convince worried parents of that?  
  
He knew that after the Easter holiday, that there would probably be a number of students that remained at home as well, and it grieved him to think that they would miss out on the education that they need now more than ever. He sighed again. All he could do was see to it that he and his staff did everything they could to carry on and teach the remaining students everything they could with the time they had left.  
  
He hoped it would be enough.  
. 


	36. Sirius Black's Revenge

A/N: *jaw drops open at MandaB's comment* I have been writing fanfiction for almost a year?!  
  
Kenomee - Geetings to a fellow DVM. (VMD?) I do a lot of work with exotic pets and some wildlife rehab. I actually saw two dragons this week. Ok, so they were only a foot long. They're still dragons! ;)  
  
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Snape stands there in the kitchen, not quite believing what he's seeing.  
  
"What is HE doing here?" He demands, pointing at Malfoy who is sitting at Nytd's kitchen table, teacup in hand, and one leg crossed over the other.  
  
"Really, Severus," drawled Malfoy, "where are your manners? Is that how you greet an old friend?"  
  
Snape gives him a look without answering and turns back to Nytd. "Well?" he asks.  
  
Nytd starts to answer. "Now, Severus..."  
  
Snape cuts her off mid-sentence. "I realize that you fancy yourself a Slytherin, but since when does that mean you need to consort with Death Eaters?" He shoots Malfoy another glare and looks back at the author expectantly.  
  
Nytd frowns. "I am not consorting with anyone. Lucius was merely here because..."  
  
"Lucius?" Snape demands. "So now you're on a first name basis with criminal like him?"  
  
Malfoy pipes up from where he has been sipping his tea. "Stop talking as if I weren't sitting right in front of you, Severus. It's rather annoying."  
  
"Speaking of annoying..What exactly ARE you doing here, Lucius?" Snape asks suspiciously. "Why are you bothering Nytd anyway?"  
  
"Bothering?" Malfoy laughs. "Why, I would assume that I'm not bothering her if she asked me to be here."  
  
Snape whirls to face Nytd again. "Did you?"  
  
"Of course," she says, matter-of-factly. "I try to meet with everyone before I write them into the story." She gets up and goes to stand next to Snape and places a hand on his arm. "I assure you it's only business," she says softly.  
  
"Huh!" Snape snorts at her but doesn't pull his arm away. "Having tea with Death Eaters! And what's next? Brunch with Voldemort?" he asks, obviously still annoyed.  
  
"Actually, we're meeting next Tuesday for cappuccino." Nytd stands on tiptoe to give Snape a peck on the cheek and then smiles sweetly at him before sauntering off down the hall.  
  
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Sirius Black's Revenge ~*~  
  
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Shortly after dawn, Lorien made her way sleepily up the stairs out of the dungeon on her way to Remus's rooms. He was always a wreck after the full moon, and she wanted to get there as soon as he was awake to get rid of his migraine.  
  
She stopped dead as she reached the top of the stairs and found Marlina blocking her way. She eyed the attractive redhead warily. "Good morning, Marlina," she said, climbing the last stair to stand even with her.  
  
Marlina gazed at her steadily. "Good morning, Mistress Lorien. Up early to see Remus?" She asked.  
  
"Yes." Lorien replied coolly. "He always has a migraine the next morning."  
  
"I see," said Marlina. "Here." She handed Lorien one of the two mugs she was holding.  
  
Lorien looked at it suspiciously.  
  
"I heard you're a coffee drinker as well." Marlina said. "I figured that I'm not the only one that could use it this early."  
  
Lorien began to smile at the other woman. Obviously she was making an effort. "Thank you, Marlina." She sipped her coffee.  
  
Marlina nodded. "And thank you, Lorien, for taking good care of Remus."  
  
"I'm always happy to help him." Lorien replied, as they walked together toward the Gryffindor tower.  
  
"Remus and I had an interesting conversation yesterday." Marlina said.  
  
"About?" Lorien asked.  
  
"The two of you." Marlina replied.  
  
Lorien was caught off guard. "Marlina, I hope you know that I...."  
  
Marlina placed a hand reassuringly on Lorien's arm. "He told me everything. I hope that you two will always remain such good friends, Lorien."  
  
Lorien was grateful to have Marlina's blessing. "I hope that we can be friends as well, Marlina," she said sincerely.  
  
Marlina smiled at her. "I'm sure we will be."  
  
Lorien laughed a little. "So, he told you everything? I'm so relieved it's all out in the open and we can all move on from here," she said as they arrived at Remus's rooms. "Pretty funny about the dragon, huh?" She asked.  
  
Marlina suddenly looked confused and Lorien realized that Remus must not have told her absolutely everything.  
  
Marlina saw the look on Lorien's face. "What about the dragon?"  
  
Lorien looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Maybe Remus should explain that to you, Marlina."  
  
"Lorien, what do you know about the dragon?" Marlina asked. "Did those two do something illegal to get it for me? I'll kill them both if they did. So will Kaneene."  
  
Lorien finally laughed. "No, Marlina. They didn't do anything remotely illegal, I can assure you."  
  
"Ok, I brought you coffee, now spill your guts, girl." Marlina said with a grin.  
  
Lorien sighed and handed her mug back to Marlina. She walked a few paces away. "You're sure you don't want Remus to tell you?"  
  
"Spill it." Marlina demanded playfully.  
  
"Ok, if you say so." Lorien looked at Marlina for a moment and then changed there in the hallway.  
  
Marlina nearly dropped both cups of coffee.  
  
"Merlin's beard!" She said. "Damn it! No one tells me anything around here! I'm the last idiot to know that I'm dating a werewolf, and no one told me you were the bloody dragon, Lorien!"  
  
She looked perturbed for a minute as the dragon stood there blinking at her, and then she began to smile. "You took a heck of a beating for him, didn't you?" She asked, and Lorien re-appeared to answer her.  
  
"That silver tape was murder." Lorien said, agreeing.  
  
"Why did you do it?" Marlina asked, handing Lorien her coffee again.  
  
"Well, I knew the way you felt about werewolves at the time," Lorien replied. "I knew you didn't know about Remus yet, and I wanted to help you see what a wonderful person he was before you found out. I figured that if he actually managed to pull it off it would be a way for you to see how helpful and nice he is."  
  
Kaneene came down the hallway on her way to find Sirius. "Good morning, ladies," she said. They greeted her back.  
  
"Care to join us in a wake up call?" Marlina asked her.  
  
"You bet." Kaneene said, and Lorien knocked on the door.  
  
Sirius opened the door and looked a bit surprised to find three witches in the hall, but didn't have a chance to say anything as they pushed past him.  
  
"Good morning," they each said as they went by.  
  
Marlina and Lorien went to Remus, who was curled up on the couch. Kaneene kissed Sirius and then joined them.  
  
When Remus finally opened his eyes, he smiled to see the women gathered near him. All three of them sat him up and then helped him to his feet. He looked at Sirius and smiled weakly. "I could get used to this," he said as the three women helped him to his bedroom.  
  
Marlina and Kaneene stepped aside to let Lorien sit next to Remus on the bed, and watched as the Nemorosi healer dealt with the migraine in short order.  
  
"There." She said. "Better?"  
  
"Better. Thanks." He said.  
  
"Good," she said, and rose to smile at Marlina. "Make sure he gets some rest."  
  
Marlina nodded and smiled and then went to sit on the edge of the bed next to Remus.  
  
Lorien turned to Sirius. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
He walked her to the door.  
  
"Has Harry talked to you yet?" she asked.  
  
Sirius nodded. "About going to the Council thing?"  
  
"Yes. What did you tell him?" She asked, hoping that maybe she wouldn't have to discuss the situation with Severus if Sirius told Harry he couldn't go.  
  
"He finally convinced me. I think it's a good idea for him to do this, Lorien." Sirius said evenly.  
  
"What? You said he could?" She asked, sounding a bit surprised.  
  
"Yes." Sirius sounded the tiniest bit amused.  
  
"He told you everything? That he and I won't be going alone?" She blurted out.  
  
"Yes." Sirius was now looking very amused.  
  
"And you don't have a problem with that?" She demanded quietly.  
  
"No. You know how I feel about Snape, but I know he wouldn't hurt Harry," Sirius said, "especially if I'm going with you." He grinned devilishly at her. "Going to have your work cut out for you convincing the big 'S' now, aren't you?"  
  
Lorien's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare."  
  
"Oh, wouldn't I?" he teased her. "Harry is my responsibility, after all. I should supervise him on any trip that he takes, don't you think?"  
  
Lorien was beginning to panic. "It's really not necessary, Sirius. He'll be with me every minute. I'll watch him carefully. There will be lots of ...."  
  
"Lorien." He cut her off. "I know he'll be safe with you. That's not why I'm going."  
  
"Then why are you trying to make my life difficult, Sirius?" she asked, only half joking.  
  
"One word." He said.  
  
"What?" She demanded.  
  
"Crows." Sirius gave her his most charming smile.  
  
Lorien stared at him, as she realized his payback had arrived. "You bastard." She whispered. "This is going to send him right over the edge," she said.  
  
"That, sweetheart, would be an added bonus." He teased her.  
  
She shook her head. "Please, please tell me you're joking."  
  
He shook his head, still smiling. "I'm dead serious."  
  
She frowned at him and then walked to the door. "Now at least there's a thought to cheer me up a little."  
  
"What's that?" he asked.  
  
"You being dead Sirius," she quipped and gave him her sweetest smile.  
  
"Very funny, lizard lips," he said.  
  
Lorien frowned. "Mangy mutt."  
  
"Dragonbreath." He added.  
  
"Fleabag." She said quickly and slammed the door.  
  
"Damn!" Sirius said, unhappy that she got the last word in. He almost got another chance when she stormed back in.  
  
Lorien crossed strait to Remus's desk, pulled open the bottom drawer and pulled out the bottle of whatever that potent stuff was that Remus and Sirius drank together.  
  
"What, you're going to get him drunk to talk him in to it?" Sirius asked, terribly amused.  
  
"No. It's not for him. It's for me." She said, and she went through the door again.  
  
Sirius wondered how much she was going to have to drink before she was brave enough to tell Snape that he was now being accompanied by himself and Harry on his holiday.  
  
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Lorien was very grateful that it was one, Friday night, and two, Poppy's night on call. If this didn't go well she was probably going to need a good deal of what was in the bottle she had stolen from Remus. Even if it did go well, it was likely that she would.  
  
She paced in her rooms, knowing that Severus would be here soon, and dreading the thought of the conversation she was about to have with him. She'd passed the bookcase for the seventh time when she decided that she was being ridiculous. They were both adults. They could handle this. She'd simply tell him that plans had changed slightly, they'd discuss it, and things would be fine.  
  
'Yeah, right.' She told herself, and she finally drank the contents of the shot glass on the table to calm her nerves.  
  
A knock sounded at her door and she panicked. She was debating about running and climbing out the bedroom window, when Remus poked his head in her rooms. "Hi."  
  
"Hi. What are you doing here?" She asked, surprised to see him.  
  
"I just wanted to tell you that I heard what Sirius had planned, and I talked him out of it." Remus said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.  
  
"Oh, thank Merlin!" She said, utterly relieved. She ran to him and hugged him fiercely.  
  
"I told him I didn't think it was a good idea for him to just tag along on his own like that." Remus said, his sly tone going unnoticed by the witch.  
  
"You have no idea how much better I feel." Lorien said as she released Remus.  
  
Remus gave her such a sweet smile, that she suddenly knew she was in big trouble.  
  
"Therefore," Remus announced, "I convinced him that he should let me go along with him. It'll be safer that way.".  
  
Lorien stared at him with her mouth open. He couldn't possibly do this to her.  
  
Remus patted her arm and went to the table. He really only had a tiny bit of a mean streak in him, but he figured that he, of all people, was entitled to aggravating her at least a little. He handed her the shot glass he poured and went to the door.  
  
"Better drink that quick." He winked at her, and opened the door.  
  
Snape stood on the other side, looking a bit surprised at finding the werewolf in front of him.  
  
Remus smiled at him as he walked into the room. "Ben notan, Severus," he said cheerfully, and walked out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.  
  
Severus looked at the door the werewolf had just gone through, and then back at Lorien who was standing in the middle of the room downing the contents of a shot glass.  
  
"Do I want to know what this is all about?" He asked her, as he walked to where she was wiping the back of her sleeve across her lips.  
  
"No." She said, her voice hoarse after swallowing the harsh liquid. "You're not ready," she said, and she handed him a refilled glass. "Drink this first."  
  
He stared at it and then back at her.  
  
She suddenly took the shot glass back. "On second thought, I'm not ready." She tossed her head back again as Severus watched her, horrified.  
  
"Why are you drinking that, and why are you drinking it so quickly?" He asked her, as he watched her fill the glass and make as if to empty it a third time.  
  
"I'm getting drunk," she informed him.  
  
He grabbed her hand before she could drink, and took the glass away from her. "Care to tell me why?" He asked.  
  
She took the glass back and downed it before she answered him. "Not partic....particul.....not really," she said, struggling. It was apparent the first of the effects of what she had to drink already were starting to kick in.  
  
Severus regarded her carefully. "Three shots is quite enough, Lorien," he said, knowing she was used to only drinking wine.  
  
"Four." She informed him and swayed a little as he took the glass away from her. She giggled and decided that she had been silly for ever worrying about telling him about their newly acquired traveling companions. It really didn't seem all that awful now.  
  
"I have something to tell you," she began dramatically, a little louder than was necessary.  
  
Severus stared at her, not knowing whether to be appalled or amused. He settled on amused for the moment and moved to put his arms around her. "So, what sort of announcement warrants that you drink yourself into a stupor?" he asked, trying not to smile.  
  
Lorien gazed into the intense black eyes and felt herself melt as he looked at her. She forgot what she was going to say.  
  
"Kiss me." She requested, putting her arms around his neck. He complied with her request, and the effects of the alcohol and his kiss erased all thoughts of the trip, and she found herself with a completely different set of thoughts instead.  
  
Snape had to admit that he was definitely being entertained by the now moderately inebriated and quite amorous Mistress of the Healing Arts as she kissed him again and moved him back toward the couch in an unsteady but determined way. She shoved him so that he ended up sitting, nearly falling on top of him in the process. He caught her and managed to pull her onto the couch to sit next to him. "Lorien, you're drunk." He said.  
  
She gazed at him with intoxicated longing and then grabbed him and kissed him while she held him in a strangle hold.  
  
Severus tried to avoid the idea of pursuing things any further while only one of them was sober at first, but as Lorien continued her aggressive advances, and began pulling his robes open, he decided that it might prove to be an interesting experience. He decided that she would forgive him later for taking slight advantage of her. After all, she had started it.  
  
His own kisses became more insistent, and he would have reached for her robes as well until she suddenly reached up and ungracefully pried their faces apart.  
  
"Wait. Almost forgot." She said.  
  
"What?" He asked, pulling her back in, gaze on her lips.  
  
She snickered. "My announcement, Sev." She waved her arm dramatically.  
  
He stopped what he was doing completely. She was really drunk now. Not just a little bit, but really truly intoxicated. She had never, ever addressed him that way. He frowned as she tried to stand and failed, and grabbed onto her so she didn't fall off the couch.  
  
"Ready?" She asked him.  
  
He nodded hesitantly, not knowing if he was or not.  
  
She took a deep breath. "HarrySiriusandRemusaregoingwithus," she blurted out.  
  
"What?" He wasn't sure he'd understood what she said. "It sounded like you said something about Harry, Sirius, and Remus," he said, not the slightest bit amused anymore.  
  
She nodded. "Uh huh. Going with us." She gazed at him in an unfocused way.  
  
"Where?" He asked, not really wanting to know.  
  
She sputtered as if he were stupid. "The Council on holiday, silly."  
  
Snape could not have been any more horrified. "WHAT? Are you quite serious?" He demanded.  
  
Lorien laughed out loud as the thought struck her funny. "Dead Sirius." She said, echoing her own joke of earlier. She laughed at Severus once more and then proceeded to topple off the couch. When she hit the floor she was out cold.  
Snape sat there staring at the crumpled woman on the floor for several long minutes, trying to make sense of what she'd just said. For some unknown reason, they had apparently acquired three most unwanted traveling companions for their trip.  
  
He'd actually begun to look forward to the break from Hogwarts, and had planned on being able to spend time one on one with Lorien. Well, apparently that all just got tossed out the window into a flaming pile of hippogriff dung.  
  
He wondered how things had suddenly gone so very wrong, but he knew Lorien well enough to know what must have transpired. There was little doubt in his mind as he sat there seething that she must have decided that Potter needed to be exposed to more of the Nemorosi ways, and invited him along. It certainly wasn't hard to figure out that Black would want to tag along to keep an eye on Harry, and often of course, where Black went, Lupin went.  
  
Snape looked at her on the floor again, lying there in a most uncomfortable- looking position, and knew what had to be done. He had to kill her. No question at all. He would just wrap his fingers around that neck of hers and ....he shook his head. He already knew that he was going to go along with this, and it was only because it was something she would want.  
  
He had no doubt that she was torn between her feeling of obligation to Potter's training, her affection for her two Gryffindor friends, and her sense of loyalty to him. It must be a difficult place to be caught in. Well, obviously it was or she wouldn't have downed three...no, four shots of whatever that awful stuff was to get up the nerve to tell him.  
  
She hadn't told them no, though, had she? Or considered that he might change his own mind about going? The foolish witch wanted to have her cauldroncake and to eat it too.  
  
And she was foolish, wasn't she? Foolish enough to give someone like him a chance, no matter what other people thought. Foolish enough to fall in love with him, despite the consequences. Foolish enough to think that she could ever hope to get him to get along with Black. And foolish enough to not realize that four shots of that stuff would knock her on her lovely Ravenclaw ass.  
  
Severus sighed and dropped to one knee to pick Lorien up off the floor and placed her back on the couch. He conjured a blanket and draped it over her, and then pulled up a chair nearby. He wanted to watch to make sure that she didn't get sick from consuming that much alcohol that quickly, but he was just irritated enough to let her deal with the consequences of the hangover she was probably going to have in the morning.  
  
He turned to the bookcase to find something to read while he sat with her, and his eyes went to the worn purple binding on the last shelf. Curious, he picked it up, sat in the chair, opened it, and read. 'It was seven o'clock of a very warm evening in the Seeonee hills...'  
  
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A/N: *places hand over heart* I promise that will be the only Sirius/serious pun I use. *hears great sigh of relief from readers*  
  
And of course, Snape is reading the opening line from Lorien's copy of 'The Jungle Books'. 


	37. Experatan Na Hearadh

Fairy Cheese - Glad you found it entertaining. Love the pen name!  
  
A/N: Next chapter sooner, I promise!  
  
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Experatan Na Hearadh ~*~  
  
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Marlina looked wistfully at Remus as she and Noah prepared to leave for the week long holiday. "I'm going to miss you," she said, standing close to him.  
  
"It's only a week," he reassured her.  
  
"Won't you miss me?" She asked, teasing him a little.  
  
He shrugged and was rewarded with a punch in the arm. "Ow! Of course I will." He knelt down and tousled Noah's hair. "I'm going to miss both of you."  
  
Noah frowned. "Then why don't you come with us?"  
  
Marlina and Remus looked at each other for a moment, and then she spoke to her son. "Maybe next time, Noah." She said. "Remus has things he needs to do also." She didn't really want to have to go into the explanation as to why it was not a good idea for Remus to accompany them to Noah's paternal grandparent's home for a visit.  
  
"Oh." Noah was still disappointed. He hugged Remus. "See you in a week!"  
  
"Have a good visit with your grandparents, Noah." Remus said and then stood to speak with Marlie again. "Have a good trip." He said softly. "Be very careful, and send me an owl if you have any problems at all."  
  
"I will." She agreed. "And you two behave yourselves at the Council. You've both caused Lorien enough grief already."  
  
Remus smiled at her mischievously. "Since when do you worry about Lorien?" He asked.  
  
Marlina smiled sweetly at him. "Since she gave me the scoop on where you got the dragon."  
  
Remus's face dropped. "She told you?"  
  
"I managed to convince her to." Marlina replied. "I think you'd better be nice to me for a while."  
  
"I'm always nice to you." He said.  
  
"Yes, but I think you should be especially nice to me now."  
  
"And why is that?" He asked, pulling her a bit closer to kiss her goodbye.  
  
Marlie kissed him back and turned to leave with Noah in tow. "Because if you aren't, I might just have to tell Lorien about the bedtime story. You know, the evil blonde which that turns into a dragon at will?"  
  
Remus knew she had him and shrugged. "Very well. I shall do my best."  
  
"Bye Remus." Marlie said with a sly grin.  
  
"See you in a week." He replied, and then watched her disapparate with Noah.  
  
Damn. He was beginning to think that encouraging Marlie and Lorien to get along was not such a good idea. It was becoming obvious that they had no problem joining forces against him if needed. Remus finally smiled, relieved that his current lady and his former one were becoming friends as well.  
  
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Just when Snape thought the prospects for the week ahead couldn't get any bleaker, the headmaster called him to his office to discuss Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Severus, I wanted to ask your opinion as to whether or not we should let Draco remain here at Hogwarts over the break." Dumbledore said. "It appears at this time that he does not wish to return home, which I take as a good sign, but I'm not sure that it's a good idea to leave him with minimal supervision for a week."  
  
"Surely you don't think he'd cause any problems for the school?" Snape asked.  
  
"No. I don't, but I feel as though we might just be turning the tide as far as Mr. Malfoy is concerned, and I'd like to keep the pressure on him," the headmaster replied.  
  
"What do you suggest?" Snape asked tentatively, fearing what the answer might be.  
  
"I thought it might be wise if he were to remain under your supervision, Severus."  
  
The Potions master scowled.  
  
"Really, Severus. You seem to have the most influence with the boy at this point, and you also seem to read him best. I really think it might be a good idea if he were to accompany you on your journey." Dumbledore might have had the slightest hint of amusement in his tone.  
  
"My holiday is turning into a bloody field trip." Snape growled.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "So I've heard. Surely one more won't be that much of a problem?"  
  
"I'm not really getting a choice about this, am I?" Snape asked bitterly.  
  
"Not really," the headmaster said in a most pleasant way.  
  
"Fine." Snape grumbled.  
  
The headmaster smiled. "I'll inform Draco of his holiday plans."  
  
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Arial Sinistra was unhappy. She had made a full recovery after the night of the party and mangabey attacks, but at present it didn't seem to matter. Her life was one giant mess.  
  
She was unhappy that her plan to drive Severus away from Lorien had backfired, and she hated the fact that she was now in debt to the healer and the Potions master for saving her life. To make matters even worse, the woman went out of her way to be exceedingly pleasant when they encountered each other in the hall, and it drove Ariel nuts.  
  
On top of that, it appeared as though her fellow Slytherin was actually quite taken with the woman, and as much as Ariel disliked Lorien, she knew she would incur Snape's wrath if she so much as looked the wrong way at the witch. THAT, was not something Sinistra wanted to contemplate dealing with.  
  
Speaking of incurring wrath - hadn't Lupin threatened her if she didn't play nice? Her plan to rid the school of the werewolf professor had failed miserably as well. Not only had the entire staff ended up worried about Remus Lupin's safety while he was running loose, the events from that night had ended up driving Marlina back to Lupin's arms, and they now seemed closer than ever.  
  
Ariel frowned. She couldn't get rid of him and she couldn't have him. The problem was she still wanted him, and she realized she was no longer walking the line that divided infatuation and obsession. She had long ago run full speed and hurdled the fence into that realm. It was the reason she continued to play the dangerous game that she had started, and it was the reason she was so miserable every time she saw him.  
  
She was willing to risk everything to have him, but she hadn't come across the way to do it yet. Well, she would. Ariel swore that she would.  
  
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The morning that Lorien and her male traveling companions were to leave for the Nemorosi council, the three Gryffindors arrived at her rooms first, and she didn't hesitate to accost them verbally the moment they set foot in her door.  
  
"Ok. I'm glad you're all here, so I can lay down the rules before Severus arrives." She looked meaningfully at Sirius. "Rule number one. You will all do your best to be polite and civil to him at all times." She saw Sirius start to say something and she cut him off. "I have already advised him of the same."  
  
Sirius closed his mouth to continue listening.  
  
"Rule number two." Lorien continued. "If at any point you feel the need to make a smart remark or cutting comment, you will refer to rule number one." She glanced around at Remus as well this time.  
  
"Rule number three. Well, it's not really a rule.... If any of you do anything to make a scene, or provoke him, or stir up mischief at his expense in any way while we are at the council, consider your ass toast....dragon toast to be specific." She looked at all three Gryffs this time. "Got that?"  
  
Three murmured yes's answered her.  
  
"Good." She said sternly, and then she brightened and smiled sweetly at them. "Now, I think that this will be an interesting trip. I'll be very glad to have you all at the council with me, and Harry? I think we'll have to ask Perth about that summoning, right?"  
  
"Right!" Harry replied, ignoring the questioning looks from his godfather.  
  
All four looked at each other when the knock came at the door and Snape entered. His gaze swept around the room and he spoke slowly with an obvious effort to keep his tone civil. "Good morning to you all."  
  
Harry spoke up first. "Good morning, Professor." He said politely.  
  
Remus nodded. "Good morning, Severus."  
  
Sirius locked gazes with Snape for a moment and then finally decided to comply with Lorien's request. "Morning." He said stiffly, but with no trace of hostility.  
  
Lorien gave Sirius a look of approval and then spoke again. "This trip should take a good part of the day. We'll be apparating in jumps and take a portkey later on, but I'm afraid that there'll be a bit of walking involved, and I can't tell you where we're going until we get there. Security issues of course."  
  
They all nodded, understanding the threat that faced most of the Nemorosi, especially the witches. They would have to be careful not to draw attention to themselves.  
  
"Well?" She looked around the room. "Shall we go?"  
  
She was about to lead the way out the door, when another knock came. Lorien opened the door and found Draco Malfoy standing in the hall. "Draco, how can I help you?" She asked.  
  
"I'm ready." He answered tersely.  
  
Lorien looked at Severus questioningly.  
  
"Didn't I tell you?" Severus asked. "It must have slipped my mind. Mr. Malfoy shall be accompanying us as well." He took at least a small amount of satisfaction out of the fact that he knew Black, Lupin and Potter would all be annoyed by Malfoy's presence.  
  
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Sirius, Remus and Harry walked across the school grounds together as they made their way to the point at the boundary where they'd be able to disapparate. Sirius was explaining the finer points of apparation to Harry, who had not yet acquired his apparating license.  
  
Draco walked alone behind them, and Lorien walked still a few paces behind, conversing with Severus. "I got an owl back from Perth, and he's expecting all of us. He's glad that you're coming with me."  
  
"Really? And why is that?" Snape asked her, leery of the fact that the man knew so much about him from Lorien, but that they'd never met.  
  
"He appreciates the fact that you're looking out for me, and he thinks it's good that all of you will be at the council."  
  
"I see." Snape replied.  
  
"And, he's looking forward to finally meeting all of you. Especially you, Severus." Lorien said with a sly smile.  
  
Draco turned back and looked pointedly at Snape and made as if to gag himself.  
  
They reached the boundary, and Lorien spoke to Sirius and Remus. "Are we ready?"  
  
They nodded and cast tracing charms in order to follow Lorien when she disapparated. Harry would go with Sirius for the time being.  
  
"Very well. Follow me," Lorien said, placing a hand under Severus's elbow. They disapparated and Remus went next with Draco, followed by Sirius and Harry.  
  
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Several jumps later the group stopped for a few minutes to rest and take in the scenery near the huge lake that stretched out before them.  
  
"We've got two more legs by apparation, and then we walk a ways to pick up a portkey." Lorien advised the group. She led them north and west again twice and then they regrouped once more. Finally they came to a point on the ocean and began looking for the portkey.  
  
"What sort of thing should we be looking for?" Asked Harry.  
  
"It won't be the usual muggle trash," Lorien replied. "but it'll still be something that not many people would want to venture over to and pick up."  
  
"Like that?" Remus said, pointing to a large dead bird laying on the ground.  
  
Lorien grinned. "Exactly like that. Let's go."  
  
When the group finally let go of the dead bird carcass, and looked out over the ocean from the top of the cliff they stood upon, Lorien addressed the group. We're almost there," she said. "Exsperatan Na Hearadh."  
  
Draco rolled his eyes. "English, please?"  
  
Lorien smiled and started down the path before them. She called back over her shoulder. "Welcome to Harris island."  
  
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Perth Taber watched the group that had arrived make its way through the scrub and short trees at the bottom of the hill they had just climbed down. He had been expecting them, and he monitored their progress as the first ones cleared the brush.  
  
It was easy to know who Harry Potter was. The boy would have been easy to recognize even if he hadn't been forewarned. He didn't know about the other blonde teenager. They walked along a short distance ahead of the two men that followed.  
  
Ah, that would be Remus. Taber immediately recognized the werewolf from Lorien's past descriptions of him, and he felt as though he liked the man already.  
  
Taber's eyes went to his companion. So, was this tall, black haired man Severus? He looked like a pleasant enough fellow, although Perth was surprised at the way he was conversing easily with Lupin. He carried a bit of wariness about him, but still, not as bad as Taber had feared. Perhaps Lorien knew what she was doing.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted as Lorien herself cleared the trees accompanied closely by a tall figure in black robes, and he frowned. He obviously had been mistaken. There was no question that the man that now shadowed her was Snape, and Taber found himself making an effort to keep an open mind.  
  
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Harry had come to a complete halt when he made it to the clearing at the bottom of the hill, and stared at the animal before him. Draco, Remus and Sirius made it to where Harry was standing, and looked at each other.  
  
"Coincidence or security?" Sirius asked.  
  
"I'd say security." Remus replied as he eyed the large roan hippogriff looking back at him with the same interest.  
  
"I'll deal with this," Sirius volunteered, and stepped forward to approach the winged beast. He kept steady eye contact and bowed low, but was startled when he heard Lorien call out from behind him.  
  
"Sylvani! Perth, it's so good of you to come to meet us." She walked directly past Sirius who was straightening up and flung her arms around the feathered neck. An instant later she was standing with her arms around the neck of a man in green robes with steel gray hair.  
  
Sirius looked at the pair, at Remus, back at the pair, and then at Remus again. "I thought she said Taber was a horse?" He whispered to Lupin. "Didn't she say stallion?*"  
  
Remus was amused at his friends surprise. "Well, tell me, Padfoot, what exactly do you call a male hippogriff?"  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes, making fun of himself. No one should know better than he that male hippogriffs were also called stallions.  
  
Lorien released Taber and placed her hand under his elbow, escorting him to her companions to introduce them. She looked at Harry first.  
  
"Perth, this is Harry Potter, the student I've been telling you about." She said. "Harry, this is Perth Taber, my teacher."  
  
"Nice to meet you, sir." Harry offered his hand.  
  
Taber shook hands with Harry. "Lorien has told me that you've been making great progress with your studies. I look forward to seeing what she's taught you." He smiled warmly at the teenager.  
  
Lorien then introduced Draco. "Perth, I'd like you to meet another excellent fifth year student, Draco Malfoy."  
  
"How nice that you've come to visit on your holiday, Mr. Malfoy. Welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay with us." Taber said.  
  
"Thank you." Draco answered a little stiffly.  
  
Lorien indicated Sirius. "Perth, I'd like you to meet my good friend, Sirius Black. Sirius, this is Perth Taber."  
  
"Ah, a fellow animagus. Lorien speaks very highly of you, Sirius." Taber said.  
  
Sirius shook Taber's hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."  
  
Remus was next, and Lorien placed her hand on his arm as she spoke. "Sylvani, this is Remus Lupin. Remus..Perth Taber. I've looked forward to introducing you two for so long."  
  
Remus spoke first. "It's an honor to meet you, sir. Lorien has told me so much about you."  
  
Taber didn't hesitate at all to shake the werewolf's hand. "Welcome, Remus. I feel like I already know you from everything Lorien has had to say about you."  
  
"Are you sure that's a good thing?" Sirius quipped from nearby, and the two men smiled at each other.  
  
Lorien finally turned to Severus and drew him forward. "Sylvani ator, may I present Severus Snape. Severus, my mentor and dear friend, Perth Taber."  
  
Severus nodded and shook the man's hand. He inclined his head slightly and spoke cordially to the older man. "Ben ilyan, Sylvani ator. Quen amican converath."( How nice to meet you.)  
  
Taber looked slightly surprised for an instant, but then returned the man's eloquent greeting. "E ben ilyan aca, Elixani ator. Exsparatan Na Hearadh." (And good morning to you, Potions Master. Welcome to Harris Island.)  
  
Lorien saw the way Sirius and Remus were looking at each other and rolling their eyes as the other two men exchanged pleasantries, and she shot them both a stern warning look. They instantly straightened up and she returned her attention to Perth.  
  
Taber addressed the group. "I'm glad you all had a safe trip. We have a bit of a walk ahead of us, so we might as well get started." He looked from one person to the next. "If you'll all be so kind as to follow me?"  
  
He lead them across an open field and once again down an incline of open rock, dotted with scrub and low growing plants. He indicated a spot in the distance that they were headed for, and dropped back to speak with Lorien for a bit as the group walked.  
  
"I trust you had no difficulties?" Taber asked.  
  
"No, none." She confirmed.  
  
"Good. How is it that this particular group managed to accompany you?" He asked, knowing the history between the three men.  
  
She sighed and gave a brief explanation.  
  
"Interesting." Taber observed. "I'm glad that I've finally gotten the chance to meet your friends, Lorien. I should like to spend some time talking with all of them. Especially Severus," he said with a glance in the black robed mage's direction.  
  
Lorien looked at her mentor quickly. He seemed to be sincere, and she hoped that the two of them might get an opportunity to get to know one another a little. She was sure that it would put Perth's mind at ease if he could speak with Severus one on one for a while. At least she hoped it would.  
  
Taber spoke louder to address Harry and Sirius who were in front. "Make for the side of that hill over there," he said. "See that hut?"  
  
Just visible on the next hill, camouflaged in the scrubby brush was a small thatch roofed hut, and the small band walked in that direction.  
  
Perth spoke to Lorien again. "Would you mind making sure that they don't go in until I get there?"  
  
She nodded and was about to ask why he wouldn't get there when she did, but refrained from asking her question when she saw him turn and walk towards Severus. She wasn't sure what he was up to, but she complied with his wish and hurried to catch up with the others as they neared the hut on the hill.  
  
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A/N: * In WW&S, at one point Lorien laments the fact that whatever her animagus form might be, it's scaly and not something more appealing like a bird or like the beautiful roan stallion her mentor transforms into. I never said 'horse'. ;)  
  
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Harris Island, for those of you that weren't aware, is in the Hebrides, off the Scottish coast. Na Hearadh is actually the old Norse name for the island. Any discrepancy between the island description and actually geography is due solely to the reader's unfamiliarity with anything but the muggle parts of the island. ;)  
  
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Challenge update: Sita has put together a little adventure for the boys that covers all the challenge requirements. Go check it out but beware of Death Eaters wearing swastikas and loud plaid pants together! Eeeww! 


	38. Declaration and Challenge

A/N: In celebration of five-hundred plus reviews for AHN, and to make up for my recent slower progress with the story....heeeeeeeeeeeer's chapter 38!  
  
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Declaration and Challenge ~*~  
  
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Snape looked up as the older man approached him on the hillside they were walking down. He watched the Nemorosi mage warily, wondering exactly why he had sent the rest of the group on ahead. This couldn't be good.  
  
"Severus, a moment?" Taber asked pleasantly.  
  
"Of course." Snape stopped walking and turned to face Taber.  
  
"I wanted to take a moment before we arrived at our destination, and while we had at least a bit of privacy, to thank you." Taber said pleasantly.  
  
"Thank me?" Snape asked, making no effort to hide his surprise.  
  
"Yes, for saving Lorien from Fincastle at Halloween. I can't tell you how thankful I was when I found out that she was alright. She told me the details of everything that happened," Taber explained.  
  
"Well, if she explained everything," Snape replied evenly, "then you know that Lorien saved herself from Fincastle. I merely insured that he could never harm her or anyone else again."  
  
"Apparently that's not how she sees it," Taber replied with a bit of amusement in his voice at the younger man's continued look of surprise. "She thinks quite a lot of you, you know."  
  
Snape spoke politely once again. "As amazing as I still find that to be, I assure you that I have endeavored to ensure that she continues to feel that way." He grew quiet for a moment and then continued a bit more awkwardly. "I must admit, that I think quite a lot of her as well."  
  
Taber smiled. "So do I, and that is why I must say what I'm about to say."  
  
Snape arched an eyebrow expectantly.  
  
"I think it would be good while you are here for you to declare." Taber replied.  
  
Snape looked momentarily confused. "For me to what?"  
  
" Anouve tetion. Declare your intentions toward the lady." Taber indicated where Lorien was walking with the others.  
  
Snape still looked puzzled. "I don't follow you."  
  
Taber smiled again. "It is a very old Nemorosi tradition that a suitor would announce his intentions of pursuing or courting a witch in front of the Nemorosi council when it met. I thought that you might take advantage of the opportunity since the council meets so infrequently."  
  
Snape looked slightly paler than normal. "Wait, let me see if I understand this. You want me to stand before the Nemorosi council and announce that it is my intention to pursue a relationship with Lorien?"  
  
Taber grinned at him angelically. "Yes."  
  
"Why would I do that?" Snape asked. "I'm not Nemorosi."  
  
"Ah, yes, but Lorien is, isn't she?" Taber said slyly. He laughed a little when he saw the look of mild distress that appeared on the younger man's face. "I assure you that I am not trying to make things more difficult for you, Severus. I believe that if you were to do this, especially without Lorien's prior knowledge, it would go a long way toward impressing her."  
  
Snape regarded the older man carefully for a long minute before he spoke again. "That's not the only reason that you suggest this, is it?" He asked. "You want to see if I'll actually do it, don't you? You want to judge whether or not I'm at least that committed to her, is that it?"  
  
Taber gazed steadily into the black eyes. "It's a small thing to do to earn a bit of confidence from an old man."  
  
Snape snorted. "You, sir, are neither old, nor are you as guileless as you pretend to be. I believe you know exactly what you are doing."  
  
Taber shrugged. "What say you, Severus? Are you willing to swallow a bit of your pride in order to please her?"  
  
Snape frowned and after a moment spoke softly. "What, exactly, do I have to do?"  
  
Taber brightened. "It's quite simple, really. You need to approach the council and merely inform them of your intentions."  
  
"And then what?" Snape asked suspiciously.  
  
"She has the option to accept or reject you at that point," Taber informed him.  
  
"Publicly?" Snape asked.  
  
Taber nodded.  
  
"I assume that it's best to have a fairly sound belief that the lady will not reject you before you actually make such an announcement?" Snape asked wryly.  
  
Taber laughed out loud. "That's usually the wisest course."  
  
Snape thought for another minute and then blew out a sharp breath. "Fine. If you absolutely think this is necessary, I will do it," he said.  
  
"Good." Taber clapped him on the shoulder. "Now let's catch up with the others." He strode off, leaving the younger man standing there shaking his head and wondering what he'd gotten himself into. Snape finally went after the rest.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
*  
  
Lorien eyed Perth suspiciously as he and Severus made it to where she and the others were standing near the small cottage, but he merely smiled at her and turned to speak to the group. " Shall we?" He indicated the door of the cottage and spoke a short incantation.  
  
Harry looked at Sirius. "Why are we stopping at this cottage? I thought we were going on to a big gathering," he whispered.  
  
"Not sure." Sirius whispered back, but indicated that they should follow where Lorien was entering behind Taber.  
  
Harry had his answer shortly after they walked into the small room in the cottage, and Taber opened the back door that should have opened into the hillside, but opened out onto a small plain surrounded by woods instead. He gasped as he looked through the doorway. There was obviously very powerful magic at work here.  
  
Lorien smiled at his reaction and lead the men though.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lorien enjoyed watching the reactions of her male companions as they became aware of just how many people were already present on the other side of the passage they'd come through. There were Nemorosi busy everywhere preparing for the council meeting that would start the next morning, and it didn't take long before she began to encounter friends.  
  
She stopped to talk to several women her age, hugging all three and talking animatedly with them, periodically looking back at the group behind her and then saying something else to the three women in way of explanation.  
  
"No wonder you like your job at Hogwarts," one of them named Rachel was saying to her. "I had no idea that there were so many men there that looked like them." She indicated the group she was with.  
  
Lorien smiled at her.  
  
"So tell us, love, which one is the werewolf?" Another named Ilizabeth was asking her.  
  
"The one with the slightly graying brown hair," Lorien replied.  
  
"Oh my," replied the third, a slightly younger woman named Althea. "So, he's available now?" She teased.  
  
"No. I'm afraid none of them is available." Lorien said.  
  
Rachel spoke up again. "So, which one is your paramicaan, Lorien?"  
  
"The one in the black robes is Severus." Lorien replied.  
  
All three turned to look at the Potions master, and then turned to speak to Lorien again.  
  
"He's so serious looking, Lorien!" Althea whispered.  
  
"I admit that he can seem a bit intense at times." Lorien said.  
  
"I don't know, love. I think he's kind of scary if you ask me." Ilizabeth said.  
  
Rachel frowned at Ilizabeth. "Well, she didn't ask you," she said sternly. She turned to Lorien. "Don't you mind her. I think it's wonderful that you've met someone, Lorien. He's a professor, you said?"  
  
"Yes. He's Hogwarts' Potions master." Lorien replied.  
  
Althea elbowed Ilizabeth. "So, that's how he caught our Lorien's eye. Must've slipped her a love potion, eh?"  
  
Rachel glared at the two other women. "Are you two going to be happy for her, or what? I don't see either of you with a distinguished professor on your arm."  
  
Elizabeth and Althea gave Lorien apologetic smiles. "You know we have to give you a bit of a hard time, that's all," said Ilizabeth.  
  
Althea nodded in agreement. "So, give us the dirt, love."  
  
Lorien started to protest, but even Rachel didn't come to her rescue this time.  
  
Rachel smiled. "Yes, do tell, Lorien. We want to know everything."  
  
Lorien knew there was no getting out of giving her friends the details of her lovelife, but she decided to put her confessional on hold. "Later." She looked back at her friends who were waiting for her. "I'll tell you three everything, but later."  
  
"We're going to hold you to that." Ilizabeth teased. "Now introduce us, or else."  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Draco was sure that this week was going to be the worst part of his punishment so far. Not only did he have to spend the week under Snape's close supervision, but he was stuck with a bunch of arrogant Gryffindors, including Potter! To top it all off he was stranded here in the middle of Merlin-knew-where with a bunch of tree-hugging, dirt-worshipping, wandless wonders, and he just absolutely knew that if he had to see that Ravenclaw witch gaze lovingly at his head of house one more time, he was going to vomit. Violently.  
  
He reluctantly followed the rest of the group as they accompanied the old man, bored out of his mind. He was sure that he was never going to make it through more than twenty-four hours of this, when something vaguely interesting presented itself. He found it mildly intriguing that Lorien had excused herself from the group for the moment and was walking back across the clearing toward the man that was crossing it in their direction.  
  
The man was young, probably five or six years younger than Lorien, and ruggedly handsome. He appeared to be muscular and tan, and wore his sun-bleached blonde hair almost the same length as hers, but pulled back with a leather cord. Maybe her bother?  
  
Draco changed his opinion about that as he watched her greet the man and embrace him. He had a feeling this was no relative, and he immediately turned his attention to Snape. The man's face was expressionless as he watched Lorien greet the newcomer, but Draco saw the change in his eyes as he watched them speaking a short distance away.  
  
The rest of the party looked as well, and Remus finally spoke to Taber. "Who is that Lorien is speaking to?" He asked curiously.  
  
Taber turned to look. "Oh that? That's Marius," he said, and then realized that he was getting blank looks from all of those around him.  
  
"Is he a relative of some sort?" Remus asked, sure that he'd never heard Lorien mention the name.  
  
Taber got an odd look on his face. "Relative? Well, no." He said. "Marius is her paramicaan."  
  
It was debatable who was more stunned at that moment, Lupin or Snape, but it was definitely Lupin that recovered quicker from the news. Snape stood there trying to decide if he'd actually heard what he thought he did.  
  
"Did you say paramicaan?" Remus asked.  
  
Perth suddenly realized that this was the first either man had heard of Marius, and he regretted having opened his mouth. "Yes. Well, former, actually, but they're still friends," he said quickly. "Well, not that friendly, but...that is ...they get along fine..I'll just let Lorien explain it to you, shall I?" Taber said, struggling. He looked around the group hopefully. "Anyone hungry?"  
  
Sirius, Draco, and Harry thought that dinner sounded like the best plan so far, and they walked to accompany the rapidly retreating Taber.  
  
Remus glanced back at Lorien and Marius once more and then met Snape's gaze. He shrugged and shook his head, indicating he didn't have a clue either, and went to join the others.  
  
Snape was left standing there watching Lorien with Marius as the rest followed Taber, and he decided that he wasn't going to just stand around and wait. He turned and walked quickly toward the blonde witch, curious to see what she was going to have to say. He could tell even at a distance, that she was becoming agitated and his gaze focused on the man standing with her.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lorien reached Marius and gave him a quick but less than warm embrace. "Marius." She said coolly. "How are you?"  
  
"Couldn't be better, my dear," he returned pleasantly, kissing her on the cheek before she had a chance to pull away. "And how are you?"  
  
"Fine." Lorien replied, irritated that he'd kissed her.  
  
"I have to say that you look terrific," he said, looking her over. "It would appear that Hogwarts agrees with you."  
  
"It certainly does." Lorien replied. "It was almost the best decision I ever made." Her point was not lost on Marius.  
  
"That was low, Lorien," he said, but he continued to smile pleasantly at her.  
  
She snarled quietly at him. "So are the Valentines and the letters you keep...."  
  
Both of them stopped speaking when Snape got to them and Lorien looked up and gave him an uneasy smile. "Severus. There you are," she said quickly, and placed a hand on his arm. "I'd like you to meet Marius. Marius this is Severus." She said.  
  
Both men exchanged vague pleasantries while eyeing each other carefully.  
  
"Well, I'm sure that Perth is waiting for us." Lorien said to Snape. "Marius, you'll excuse us?" She asked sweetly.  
  
"Of course." He replied, and watched them walk away together.  
  
Lorien walked along next to Snape, and neither said anything for a few moments. Finally she spoke. "It's been over between us for some time, Severus. We've managed to keep an amiable relationship, but beyond that, there's nothing."  
  
"I see." He replied coolly.  
  
"Severus, I didn't say anything about him because it's really not that important. It's over. Period. End of story," she continued insistently.  
  
"Fine." Was the stiff reply.  
  
She stopped walking and turned to him. "Stop that." She said softly. "He's of no concern to you." Lorien moved to stand close to him, and placed her hands on his arms. "Do you understand?" She asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you believe me?" She asked in a soft voice again, now looking concerned that he didn't.  
  
He gave in at last. "Of course," he answered quietly.  
  
"Good." She smiled and leaned up to kiss him quickly on the cheek. "Shall we join the others?"  
  
"If you insist that we must." He replied.  
  
"I do."  
  
He heard her answer, and he reluctantly went with her to join the others, glancing back once more at the blonde man that still stared after Lorien. He hoped that Marius was as thoroughly convinced as Lorien that things were over between them.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Dinner with Perth actually went off better than expected, and for the most part everyone remained civil to one another during the conversation that followed. That is until the conversation turned to Quidditch.  
  
Lorien sighed. Perth was a rabid quidditch fan, and getting him started on the subject could prove to be a mistake. Unless of course, you were another rabid quidditch fan like Sirius, Harry or even Draco. A lively discussion was now underway about the merits of birch tail twigs versus willow.  
  
Lorien couldn't help but smile as she reached to pour herself another glass of wine to help endure the topic at hand, and realized that both Remus and Severus were doing so as well. Remus was wearing the same patient expression that he often donned when trying to explain a simple defense concept to a student that just wasn't getting it, and Severus remained expressionless, but she could see a little muscle in his cheek twitch a bit, giving away the fact that he was becoming agitated.  
  
Remus reached the bottle first, and filled all three glasses as Sirius ranted on about something having to do with Firebolts.  
  
Lorien was just about sinking into a stupor at the table when there came a knock at the door, and she leapt to her feet quickly, grateful for the appearance of Rachel.  
  
"Well, it's late," she said hurriedly, going to the door. "I'll see all of you gentlemen in the morning?" She offered Severus one last sympathetic glance, and then bolted with Rachel so she wouldn't have to endure any more discussion of broom handles.  
  
"Rachel, you're a lifesaver." Lorien said. "They got Perth talking about quidditch!"  
  
"You owe me, love." Rachel replied in an amused way. "Come on, you have a lot to tell us." She led Lorien to where she would be staying for the night with herself, Althea, and Ilizabeth, and the four girlfriends stayed up well into the night, catching up on everything that had happened since they'd last seen each other.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
The Nemorosi council met early the next morning, and the most prominent topic of debate was the decision as to whether or not to take a more aggressive role in dealing with the Death Eaters that were still assassinating Nemorosi witches.  
  
Perth sat on the council of twelve, the youngest of the elders, but the whole of the Nemorosi population was present in the clearing that morning for the open discussion.  
  
There were arguments back and forth as the morning wore on, and finally Perth asked Lorien to step forward to offer her input. She addressed the council and began to relate how much atrocity she'd been witness to over the past nine months.  
  
"All of us here have been affected," she said, indicating the group that had accompanied her. Everyone knew what had happened to Harry's parents, and that Sirius had been wrongly incarcerated because of Pettigrew. She explained how diligently Remus worked to train the students at Hogwarts in Defense because it was becoming so painfully apparent that they were going to need all the skill in that area that they could muster.  
  
Lorien continued to tell how Severus had almost been killed by Ian Fincastle, and how she herself had come close to meeting her demise at his hands as well. She finally offered them the story of the nightmare attack on Hogwarts itself, but left Draco's name out of the tale.  
  
"We've also lost several dear friends," she continued, "so you can see why I think it's time that we get more involved. We need to DO something, not just sit and wait to be executed."  
  
The day wore on into the late afternoon, as more people argued for and against going on the offensive. It was becoming quite obvious that the vast majority of the Nemorosi were in favor of such actions, and the council finally agreed that they had heard enough, and would meet in private over the next few days to make the final decision as to what should be done.  
  
That now left other business to be discussed in front of the council, and Snape groaned inwardly as he realized what he was going to have to do. How on earth did he ever manage to get himself into this? Not only was he going to have to do this in front of the council, but in front of Lupin, Black and Potter as well. He looked at Taber who was seated a short distance away, and the man gave him a small encouraging nod.  
  
The only thing that Snape could be thankful for was the fact that he was not the only one in his predicament, and he watched a Nemorosi wizard perhaps only a few years younger than he step before the council and announce his intentions towards Lorien's friend Althea.  
  
The elders nodded in acknowledgment and the oldest, a heavyset woman with white hair coiled intricately up on her head, spoke as she looked around the large gathering. "Taen desputath?"  
  
Silence met the woman's question, and she nodded and turned to Althea, who smiled shyly and blushed while nodding her acceptance of her suitor. Lorien, Rachel, and Ilizabeth all excitedly hugged their friend as the next young wizard endured the same.  
  
Lorien whispered to Althea. "That's wonderful, Thea. How very romantic."  
  
Althea nodded, still smiling as the next witch accepted the wizard that had just declared. Her expression changed to one of wonder after a moment and she tugged on Lorien's sleeve and indicated where Snape had stepped in front of the council.  
  
Lorien thought she was going to faint.  
  
So did Snape.  
  
Lupin's mouth dropped open.  
  
Black did a blatant double take.  
  
Harry looked amazed.  
  
Draco looked completely amused.  
  
Lorien was sure that the end of the world must be around the corner if she was actually seeing what she thought she was seeing. Severus? Declare? She looked quickly at Perth, suddenly quite sure that this must be his doing, and the older man gave her an innocent look and shrugged.  
  
At first she was dumbfounded when she heard him address the council, and then she realized just how much agony the man must be undergoing for her sake at the moment and smiled. She knew he loved her, but this was really putting himself on the line. Especially...she looked at the Hogwarts contingent and smiled again. Especially in front of them.  
  
Lorien was biting her lip as she waited anxiously for Severus to finish. She wanted this to be over for him, and wanted to offer her acceptance as quickly as possible, and she readied her answer as the chief elder spoke again. "Taen desputath?"  
  
Silence around the gathering.  
  
Lorien took a step forward as the older woman looked at her, and then her heart sank as she heard another voice. Someone was issuing a challenge to Severus's declaration, and Lorien's head whipped around in time to see him step toward the council.  
  
Of course, it was Marius. 


	39. No Foolish Wand Waving

Milah - Thanks for the review. Hope you've caught up on your sleep, 'cause things pick up from here on!  
  
Bananafanayou - I'm going, I'm going, I'm going! :D  
  
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No Foolish Wand Waving ~*~  
  
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Silence reigned all across the gathering in the clearing as Marius finished speaking, and Snape snapped his head around to first look at the man with enough audacity to do such a thing, and then his gaze went quickly to Taber.  
  
Perth shrugged and gave Severus a look that said that he was obviously shocked by the turn of events as well.  
  
"Well then," spoke the head of the council. "Custom dictates that we meet again in forty-eight hours. Is that sufficient?" She asked Marius, who nodded. She turned to Snape, who had no idea what the woman was talking about, but he nodded in acknowledgment of her question.  
  
"Fine." She finished. "Forty-eight hours. Here." She and the rest of the council rose and the gathered crowd began to disperse.  
  
Lorien shot a menacing glance in Marius's direction, and the blonde mage merely gave her a charming smile and walked out of the clearing. She quickly went to where Perth had gone to stand near Snape, where the man was looking puzzled by the occasional wizard that was patting him on the arm and wishing him luck as they went by.  
  
"I can't believe this!" She sputtered angrily as she walked toward them. "You!" She said to Taber. "You put him up to this!"  
  
Perth nodded. "I thought it would be a good thing for him to follow tradition, Lorien."  
  
"Well, now look what's happened!" She said, quite agitated.  
  
"How was I to know that Marius would do such a thing?" Taber asked her defensively.  
  
Lorien sighed and backed down. "I know. I'm sorry. Even I didn't think Marius would stoop so low."  
  
Snape spoke very slowly and deliberately to the two of them. "Would one of you be so kind as to explain to me WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?"  
  
Lorien looked at Perth expectantly as Remus, Sirius, Harry and Draco came to hear what was going on.  
  
"Marius has challenged you for the right to declare intentions for Lorien," Taber explained.  
  
Sirius spoke up in an innocent sounding voice, but Lorien knew him well enough to know that the gleam in his eye meant that he just couldn't be any more entertained by the Potions master's new dilemma. "Why doesn't Lorien just pick Snape, then? It should be an easy enough decision for her."  
  
Lorien shot Sirius a look that told him he was dead if she caught him alone, and he gave her his most innocent smile.  
  
"It doesn't work that way." Taber explained. "If a challenge has been issued, traditionally it's settle by a duel."  
  
"Really?" Severus asked, starting to perk up a little at the thought.  
  
Taber nodded. "In forty-eight hours."  
  
"Fine." Snape replied. "I think I'm actually going to look forward to this." Snape knew he excelled at dueling and he began to entertain thoughts of beating the brash Nemorosi into a figurative pulp. Or perhaps a literal one.  
  
"Severus.." Lorien said quietly.  
  
"So, they'll have to duel in front of the council?" Harry asked, not relishing his own brief experiences with the wizard's duel. He caught the snicker from Malfoy a few feet away.  
  
Taber nodded.  
  
"Severus..." Lorien tried again quietly to get his attention.  
  
"Arrogant bastard." Snape growled. "It'll serve him right to get his ass kicked in front of the whole council. Of all the nerve! Challenging a Hogwarts professor!" Snape went on a bit arrogantly himself.  
  
"Severus!" Lorien snapped.  
  
He turned and looked at her.  
  
"Could I see you for a moment?" She asked, looking bothered.  
  
Snape walked a short distance away with her, not liking the look of alarm on her face. "You appear worried," he said.  
  
"Well, of course," she replied in a slightly agitated voice.  
  
Snape snorted and folded his arms. "That much faith in me, Lorien?"  
  
Lorien sighed. "My faith in you has yet to waiver, Severus, but there's something you obviously don't know."  
  
Snape frowned. He didn't like these things that he didn't know. "What?" He asked warily.  
  
She made it simple. "Nemorosi duels are always wandless."  
  
Snape stared at her for a long moment, and then began debating what it was going to be like to get his ass kicked in front of the whole Nemorosi council.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
*  
  
Sirius Black was in a good mood as he walked along with Remus. "You know, Moony, I thought that coming with Harry to this council thing was going to be a bit boring." He grinned at his friend.  
  
"What are you trying to say?" Remus asked, a broad grin on his own face.  
  
"Well, I would volunteer to come here on all my holidays if I knew I was going to see someone beat the snot out of Snape," he replied.  
  
Remus laughed. "Really, Padfoot, don't you think you ought to be cheering for a fellow Hogwarts staff member?"  
  
"Are you?" Sirius asked with a devilish smile.  
  
"Well, I hope he survives, at least." Remus said slyly. "I guess I wouldn't have much of a problem seeing Marius mop the floor with him."  
  
"Thank you for that vote of confidence." The voice came from Marius as he caught up to the two men.  
  
"Don't mention it," Sirius said cordially. He offered his hand. "I'm Sirius Black, and this is Remus Lupin."  
  
Marius didn't offer to shake hands. "Ah, the convict and the werewolf," he said. He leaned closer to Remus. "Just be glad that Lorien made the decision for you before I did." He gave Remus a threatening look and walked off.  
  
Remus clenched his teeth, and glared at the man's back.  
  
Sirius hung his head in his hands and moaned aloud.  
  
"What is it, Padfoot?" Remus asked.  
  
"What a jerk!" Sirius replied.  
  
"I know. I can't imagine being that arrogant." Remus said. He was starting to have a better understanding of why Lorien was so touchy about anyone seeming too possessive.  
  
"It's not just that," Sirius said miserably, "he's actually making me consider routing for Snape."  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
It had taken Lorien and Perth a considerable amount of time to calm Severus down after he found out that he would be taking part in a duel without his wand, and now they had finally managed to convince him that they thought they had time to at least make it so that it was likely that he'd sustain no permanent damage from the encounter.  
  
"Well, that's something to look forward to isn't it?" Snape asked Taber caustically. "You know, this is all your fault. All this 'it's tradition' and 'it'll impress the lady' rot. What the hell was I thinking?" He ranted on. "Obviously I wasn't."  
  
"Or at least not with your brain," Sirius added as he and the three others walked up.  
  
If looks could kill, Sirius would have been a small smoldering pile of ashes in the dirt, but he ignored the look Snape was giving him and spoke again. "Get over it, Snape. What's done is done. Any of us would have done the same thing. You're going to have to figure out a way to get through this, that's all."  
  
"That's easy enough for you to say, Black." Snape snarled. "You'd waltz in there and change into that mangy beast and not have to worry about not having your wand."  
  
Sirius shrugged.  
  
Taber spoke up again. "Sirius is right, Severus. We have two days to work on this. I think that I can get you through it ok."  
  
They all finally convinced Snape that short of backing out of the whole thing, which he was loathe to do, he was going to have to at least learn to defend himself from Marius. Wandless.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Harry and Draco stood nearby watching the first lesson that Taber was giving their Potions master unfold.  
  
"This is so stupid," Draco said, and yawned in a bored fashion.  
  
"It's not stupid." Harry said. "Besides, he doesn't really have much of a choice at this point, does he?"  
  
"I guess not." Malfoy answered. "I don't really see the point of the whole idea of wandless magic. It's seems pretty useless if you ask me. Bunch of nature-loving fruitcakes"  
  
"Well, it's not," Harry said defensively, "and the Nemorosi are not fruitcakes."  
  
"So touchy, Potter." Malfoy drawled. "You'd think you were a Nemorosi by the look on your face."  
  
Harry was angry. "Malfoy, you know what? You're a stupid slimy git."  
  
Draco's expression darkened. "Take that back, Potter, or I'll hex you from here to Hogwarts."  
  
Harry declined, his anger getting the best of him. "So, how did it feel to have your father in Azkaban, Malfoy? No wonder you turned out the way you did."  
  
That did it. Draco pulled his wand and pointed it at Harry.  
  
"Go on, just try it." Harry said, standing there without drawing his wand.  
  
"You think you're that fast on the draw?" Malfoy sneered. "Fine. I would have thought you'd learned your lesson about dueling with me the last time," he said, and spoke the hex.  
  
Harry quickly drew his arms together in front of him, invoking earth and blocked the spell easily as Malfoy looked completely surprised, but he wasn't finished, and he tapped his anger at the arrogant Slytherin and threw the small ball of fire at his feet, causing him to jump back quickly.  
  
"What the hell, Potter?" Malfoy was furious, but also completely caught off guard.  
  
"You ought to spend more time learning about the Nemorosi and less time insulting them, Malfoy." Harry said.  
  
"Is there a problem here?" Remus asked as he came to where the two boys were eyeing each other angrily.  
  
"No." Spat Draco.  
  
"No problem, Professor." Harry answered with his eye still on Malfoy. "I was just giving Draco here a little lesson in wandless magic."  
  
"Well, I think that's enough out of both of you for one day," replied Remus. "Clear on that?"  
  
Both boys nodded and walked back with him to where the others were.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
Lorien was frustrated that she could do nothing to help Severus at this point, but she knew that if anyone was going to be able to teach him anything useful in such a short period of time, it would be Perth. She listened to the instructions Taber gave Snape as they readied to begin the lesson, and she tried to think of anything else useful that she might tell them about Marius.  
  
Not too many people knew what Marius was like better than Lorien. He was a fairly strong wizard, decent at dueling, and wouldn't hesitate to resort to physical violence in a confrontation if need be. The one thing that she knew would be in favor of Severus was that he was definitely smarter, and she hoped his wits would help him with the considerable challenge he was going to face. She reminded herself to tell Perth that Marius had an affinity for fire spells, and blinding curses.  
  
A thought struck Lorien, and she suddenly thought of something that might afford Severus a little extra protection from Marius. She quickly left and ran off to find Rachel or Ilizabeth to help her with what she needed to do.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
Snape had listened to everything that Taber had to offer in the way of initial instruction and stepped back to try his hand at a first attempt at a wandless defense spell. He notice Lorien leave just as he was doing so and he frowned. Evidently she couldn't bear to watch and was leaving. Not a confidence builder by any means.  
  
He nodded at Taber to indicate that he was ready, and it was only a couple of seconds after he did so that he found himself on his back on the ground, staring up at the sky in an unfocused way.  
  
"Try again," he heard Taber say, and he shook his head and got to his feet to face the Nemorosi mage.  
  
The fourth time Severus hit the ground, he found himself angry at the fact that this was proving to be so difficult. After all, how long did it take Potter to get this? He was definitely unhappy with the thought that another Potter might be better than him at something, and he managed to drag himself to his feet again.  
  
Lorien had returned by this time and she came to him to offer a bit of advice. "Severus, you can do this," she said. "You're just not getting past the fact that you don't have your wand, that's all. It's all here." She tapped her head.  
  
Severus stared at her for a moment. "Lorien, why do you have blood on your lip?" He asked.  
  
She wiped the trace of blood away and spoke again. "It's nothing. Now, what you must realize is that you already have the ability to do wandless magic. You do it every day when you unlock the classroom, and half the time when I've seen you summon a book. You just do it so automatically that you don't even realize that you're doing it," she explained. "Tell me you don't realize that all that potion brewing is a form of wandless magic. You never even use a wand when you're stirring that damn wolfsbane potion."  
  
Severus thought about it for a minute. She was absolutely right. He had really never given it much thought.  
  
Lorien smiled as she saw realization dawn on the man in front of her, and the thought occurred to her that Marius was going to get more than he bargained for. She stepped close to Severus and spoke again. "You can do this. I have ever so much faith in you, Severus." She looked into the ebony eyes for a long moment and then turned away to let him return to the lesson.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Oh, brother." Harry muttered, after hearing Lorien's declaration of confidence in the black robed Slytherin. He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Enough to gag you, isn't it?" Malfoy added, for once in agreement with Potter.  
  
Harry looked at Draco and held up his pinkie finger. "She has him right here, doesn't she?"  
  
Malfoy nodded. "Evidently another form of wandless magic," he said slyly.  
  
Harry actually found himself smiling at the comment from Draco.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Snape was sure he had the idea this time as Taber hurled the minor stunning spell at him again, and it aggravated him to no end when he found himself slamming once more into the dirt, this time at the feet of Lupin and Black. He gazed up at the upside-down werewolf as Lupin leaned over him.  
  
"Are you alright?" Remus asked the man in the dirt in front of him.  
  
Snape nodded and lay there for another moment catching his breath before he looked back up at Lupin and spoke. "I suppose there isn't a chance you want her back at this point, is there?"  
  
Remus smiled, shook his head adamantly, and helped the Potions master get back on his feet. He clapped him on the shoulder. "She's all yours, Severus," he said cheerfully.  
  
Snape walked back to Taber once more, debating momentarily about if it might not just be easier to let Marius have her. One glance at the way she was watching him, however, told him that he knew exactly why he was doing this, and he resolved to try it once more.  
  
This time he was only knocked backwards a pace or two, but remained on his feet, and that small success did everything in the world to give him greater confidence, as did the smile that Lorien gave him.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
Later that evening, when the others had all gone off to dinner with Perth, Lorien stayed behind with Severus to tend to his injuries from the afternoon's lesson. He was bruised and battered, and moved stiffly as Lorien helped him remove his robes. He groaned as she helped him get his shirt off, and cringed when she touched a large bruise on his back. "That hurts!" He snarled softly.  
  
Lorien pulled up a chair and indicated that she wanted him to sit, and he turned it around to straddle it and rest his arms and chin on the back.  
  
Lorien went to work, and felt Severus wince each time she placed her hands on a new sore spot. "You know you don't have to do this," she said, hands on the large bruise she had touched earlier. "It's really a silly old tradition. I mean, it's not like I wouldn't still pick you if he wins."  
  
"Well, the whole thing is purely symbolic," Snape agreed from where he had his eyes closed and his chin resting on his hands.  
  
"Exactly. Why men feel the need to run around proving themselves that way to women, I'll never know. I mean there certainly are better...."  
  
"Oh get off it, Lorien." Severus said sharply.  
  
"What?" She asked.  
  
"Don't give me that. I think you actually like this," he said.  
  
"I do not." She pressed against the next bruise a little harder than necessary, and Severus grunted a little. "It's a bunch of nonsense," she continued.  
  
"So, you wouldn't care if I didn't go through with it?" He asked.  
  
"Not at all," she said, finishing with the worst of his injuries. "Just tell Marius to get stuffed and walk away."  
  
"Really?" Severus sounded intrigued.  
  
"Yes," she said, trying to sound indifferent.  
  
"Truly? You wouldn't care?" He asked, sounding a little hopeful.  
  
"No." She said, but he heard the lack of conviction in her answer and he stood and faced her.  
  
"Liar," he accused her softly. He reached for her and pulled her close. "You might have some people convinced that you think the whole thing is ridiculous, but you don't fool me for one minute, Remedari atora."  
  
"I don't know what you're going on about." Lorien tried to pull away a little, but Severus wouldn't let her.  
  
He caught her chin up with one hand and looked her in the eyes. "Tell me you don't like it, Lorien. Tell me you don't like the idea of men fighting over you."  
  
Lorien shrugged and looked back at him steadily.  
  
Severus continued, pulling her against him. "I don't care what you say, I'm willing to bet that you do. I think you like the idea of being ...won."  
  
Lorien couldn't help herself, and smiled and then bit her lower lip as she turned away.  
  
"That's what I thought," he said.  
  
"Which is why you're ready to get the stuffing knocked out of you?" She asked.  
  
"Perhaps," he answered her slyly. "Well, that and the fact that I'd never hear the end of it from Lupin and Black if I back out."  
  
Lorien pouted. "Oh, that's very romantic, Severus. So, it's really all about your ego?"  
  
He pulled her in closer and looked down into her blue eyes again. "What do you want it to be about, Lorien?" He asked in a honeyed voice.  
  
Lorien found that she couldn't turn away from the way he was looking at her if she tried.  
  
"I'm going to do this, Lorien," he said softly. "I'm going to do this and try to preserve what shred of dignity I'll have left after I get thrashed by Marius."  
  
He wanted to tell her more, but was unsure how to say the things he was feeling. How did he tell her that he'd never done anything remotely romantic in his life, and now that he had the opportunity, he had surprised even himself when he discovered the idea appealed to him, even though it might mean he'd take a beating. How did he tell her that she was the only one that he'd ever considered doing such a foolish thing for?  
  
It was hard enough for him to tell himself. He, Severus Snape, was about to enter a wizard's duel, wandless, over a woman. This woman. The one that had made the possibility of such a duel happening by taking a chance on him. But, he was in the habit of proving to people that had faith in him that they were right to do so, wasn't he? He smiled and spoke softly to her. "Besides, I believe you're worth it."  
  
The way she was kissing him after that simple declaration was already going a long way toward making that statement true.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
A/N: Next chapter the betting starts as the forty-eight hours tick down! 


	40. A Little Wager

Elaine - Thanks again for your input! I think you'll enjoy where the duel takes us.  
  
Jolene - Thanks for reviewing. Glad someone appreciates my odd little sense of humor.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
Nytd sits at the smallest table in the corner of the café in the local Borders bookstore and glances at her watch. Two twenty-five. She's been kept waiting long enough to go over her list of questions for a third time and to start on a second grande lowfat, dry cappuccino without sugar.  
  
She watches another couple come into the café and sit together at a nearby table with decaf herbal teas and their Sociology homework.  
  
Ugh! Decaf! What's the point?  
  
Nytd smiles to herself as she begins to feel the effects of the coffee she's been drinking, knowing that a good deal of her most creative writing has been the blessing of a caffeine-buzz muse. Two or three cups of straight high-test and you never know what might happen - a wandless magic lesson, a black iris at Valentine's day, a self-indulgent pre-chapter vignette....you just never know.  
  
The café is getting more crowded, seats are getting scarce, and a third person asks if she might use the empty chair sitting across from Nytd, who sighs and smiles and nods. The woman takes the chair with a 'thanks' and leaves.  
  
Well, then, let him conjure his own damn chair for being late. Nytd sips more cappuccino, and glances down irritatedly at her notes.  
  
"Excuse me," interrupts a crisp British accent, "but is this seat taken?"  
  
Nytd's eyes climb slowly from the notebook in front of her to the chair, on the opposite side of the table that wasn't there a moment ago, and then to the pleasant face of a tall, handsome, bespectacled man with slightly longish dark hair that is watching her expectantly.  
  
She swallows hard and then shakes her head, indicating that the chair is available.  
  
"Marvelous." The man pulls the chair out and sits with an easy and confident manner, crossing one leg over the other as he raises the newly- apparent coffee cup on the table in front of him to his lips.  
  
He sets it down and gazes unblinkingly at Nytd. "Sorry, I'm late. As I'm sure you can well imagine, I've been a bit BUSY these days."  
  
Nytd wisely decides not to push the issue of his tardiness. "No problem. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to me....um...." she hesitates, not quite sure how to address him.  
  
He smiles charmingly, looks around at the crowded café, and then looks back at Nytd. "Let's just keep it simple for now, shall we?" He peers over the top of his glasses at her. "Just call me....Tom."  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
A Little Wager ~*~  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lorien had asked Severus to meet her early the next morning before he began his next lessons with Perth. She watched as he made his way toward her across the small clearing and found herself thinking about what he'd said to her the night before.  
  
She sighed. He was doing this because he thought she was worth it.  
  
She knew how difficult it was for him to express his feelings still at this point out of habit of training himself to hide them for so many years, and it made the fact that he would do something of this nature all that more meaningful to her. She relished the rare moments of vulnerability her showed her, and smiled when she thought about what others would think if they ever saw the side of him that she periodically did.  
  
"Why are you standing there grinning at me like an idiot, Lorien?" Severus asked sternly as he made it to where she was waiting for him. "Something amusing that I am not aware of?"  
  
Ah, there was her Severus. Lorien pulled herself out of her reverie, and greeted him. "Ben ilyan. How are you this morning?"  
  
"Fine. What is it you wanted to see me about?" He asked, anxious to get on with the day's lesson.  
  
"I wanted to let you know that Marius has a fondness for blinding spells, and for fire," she said. "Make sure you remind Perth." She hesitated for a minute and then spoke again in a quieter voice. "The blinding spells I can't help you with, but as for the fire...." She held out something in her hand to him.  
  
"What is this?" Severus looked at the small sharp object she deposited in his hand. It looked like a piece of bone attached to a thin silk cord, and then he realized what it was. A dragon's tooth. "You didn't!" He said, stunned, even as he knew that she did. Now he understood about the blood yesterday.  
  
"Don't worry," she said with a smile. "It's way in the back, and besides, dragons regenerate their teeth." She indicated the white object in his hand. "It will protect you from fire as strong as that of a dragon. Marius isn't that powerful, so you'll be protected if he acts predictably."  
  
Severus stared at his hand. "I can't believe you did this."  
  
"I didn't. I had to get Rachel to do it for me," Lorien said with a smile. She took the tooth from his hand and reached up to place the cord around his neck, and tucked it down inside his collar. "There."  
  
"Lorien, I thought you weren't supposed to help either of us before the duel," Severus said.  
  
"I'm not," she admitted a bit sheepishly.  
  
Severus began to smile. "Don't even tell me that you're cheating."  
  
Lorien huffed at him. "I don't look at it that way at all. I believe the term is 'using unconventional methods? You said so yourself."  
  
"That's if you are a Slytherin," he teased her. "I believe for you Ravenclaws the term is 'cheating'."  
  
Lorien leaned close. "What about for a Ravenclaw that's in love with the Head of Slytherin?"  
  
"I would definitely call that unconventional," Severus replied wryly, and turned to look at where Perth was coming toward them.  
  
"Ben ilyan." Perth greeted them both. "Shall we get started, Severus?"  
  
Snape blew out a sharp breath and then nodded, prepared for a long day of battering by incantation.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
By late morning, Snape had once again gained an undesired audience comprised of the Gryffindor contingent from Hogwarts and Draco Malfoy. Lorien had remained to give him encouragement, and unfortunately it meant that her three friends came to join her in order to get a better feel for what was going on. He cringed when he saw that there were now three more Nemorosi women for him to demonstrate his inadequacies of wandless magic in front of.  
  
At least he was making progress. Once he'd overcome the initial mental block concerning the lack of his wand, he'd made steady gains in defending himself from a number of spells from Lorien's mentor.  
  
Taber appeared to now be his mentor for the moment as well, and Severus was pleased when the man cast a new hex at him and he was able to come up with the correct defense.  
  
"Excellent." Taber said. "You're doing well, Severus. I want to try something else." He gazed around the group until his eyes rested on Lorien. He wanted to have someone else step in and put Snape through his paces, but he decided that Lorien wouldn't be a good option. She might not attack him with the same fervor out of fear of doing him harm, and he needed someone that wouldn't pull their punches, so to speak.  
  
Taber slowly turned to consider Black and Lupin. One of them should do. He briefly considered picking Sirius but realized the danger for a serious confrontation if things got out of control. Lorien had kept him well- informed about the animosity between the two men, so it would have to be Lupin. Taber had to refrain from smiling at the thought that the Hogwarts professor might enjoy having a go at a wandless Snape.  
  
"Remus, might I ask for your assistance?" Perth asked.  
  
"Of course. How might I help?" Remus asked, intrigued by what the man obviously had in mind.  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow. Lovely. This should prove entertaining for everyone. On any given day Snape knew that he would have grudging respect for Lupin's abilities, and might even enjoy the prospect of pitting his own against the Defense instructor's, but going against the werewolf unarmed? Not a thought he relished, but then again, at least Lupin wouldn't be out for blood. Marius might.  
  
Snape admonished himself mentally that he wasn't facing the other wizard unarmed. Just sans wand. It was a struggle to maintain the concept that they were not the same thing, and he readied himself as Remus stepped in front of him and raised his wand.  
  
It wasn't until the fifth spell Lupin cast at Snape that he was finally unable to counter as well, and he sank to one knee in total darkness, panting from the exertion and blinded by the last hex. He remained there, one hand resting on his knee, worried about the fact that it was potentially this sort of spell by Marius that might do him in. He just hadn't quite been fast enough.  
  
Snape was a bit discouraged. They were running out of time, and he had barely learned to defend himself, and weakly at that, never mind have any hope of mounting an offense against Marius.  
  
He was sure that Lupin must have thoroughly enjoyed this little contest, and he was surprised when the hand that he felt on his shoulder was accompanied by the werewolf's voice. "Finite incantatum." Everything now slid back into focus, and Lupin spoke again.  
  
"Alright there, Severus?" He offered his hand to help him up.  
  
Snape regarded Lupin for a moment. The man was obviously trying to be helpful. Hell, he was trying to be nice even, wasn't he? He normally would have sneered at the man's offer and climbed to his feet himself, but he found himself locking wrists with Lupin and letting the man yank him up. "Thank you." He said very quietly.  
  
Remus nodded and stood closer, dropping his own voice so that only Snape could hear. "Severus, from what I gather about Nemorosi duels, the only stipulation is that no wands are allowed." His gray eyes seemed to carry a bit of mischief as they met Snape's black ones.  
  
"What are you saying?" Snape asked quietly as well.  
  
"Well, it's just that I find it difficult to imagine that a git like Marius would even have the nerve to challenge a Hogwarts professor." Remus looked at him meaningfully. "The Hogwarts Potions master, no less."  
  
Snape saw the grin that Lupin now wore, and when it dawned on him what the man was saying, the tiniest of smiles began to play around the corners of his mouth. The Defense professor had just given him his best offense.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
Harry and Draco had been watching the morning's lessons as several more of the Nemorosi stopped to assess the progress being made by the Slytherin teacher. Some of them observed out of curiosity, but Draco could tell that a number of them had more than a casual interest in the proceedings. There was obviously a considerable amount of wagering going on, and the small group of wizards near him debated about what odds to give Snape. They weren't good, but they'd improved a bit from yesterday.  
  
Harry noticed Malfoy watching them with interest and spoke. "Don't even tell me that you're thinking about betting on the outcome."  
  
Draco turned to regard Harry coldly. "What if I am? I don't see that it's any business of yours, Potter."  
  
"Aren't you a bit underage?" Harry asked, unfazed.  
  
"My money's as good as anyone twice my age." Malfoy sneered. "Why should they care?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "Whatever. Do whatever you want, Malfoy. I could care less if you bet on Snape."  
  
Draco laughed. "Snape! Who said anything about betting on Snape?" He asked in an amused fashion. "The idea of placing a wager is to try to win, Potter."  
  
Harry now appeared amused. "So, you're betting on Marius? I thought you said that the Nemorosi were a bunch of nature loving fruitcakes."  
  
Draco laughed derisively again. "That I did, and that they are, but I'm not STUPID, Potter. Marius obviously has the advantage in this situation."  
  
Harry was annoyed at Draco's smug manner. He'd expected the Slytherin to vote for his head of house, and was surprised when Malfoy indicated he had no interest in displaying loyalties, only in profiting.  
  
Draco saw the look Harry was wearing. "What? Don't tell me you think that Snape has a chance?" He sneered.  
  
Harry shrugged again. "I think you're underestimating how much he can learn in a short time if he has the right mindset."  
  
"Really? You think?" Draco asked sarcastically. "How about we make this interesting, Potter? Say, a little wager of our own?"  
  
Harry watched Malfoy carefully as the blonde Slytherin continued.  
  
"I'll put up ten Galleons that says Snape has to be carried out of the duel," he said haughtily.  
  
Harry rose to the challenge. "I'll take that bet." He was suddenly surprised at the words he heard leaving his own lips. He was defending Snape? Well, Hermione would be amused if she ever found out, wouldn't she?  
  
Draco sneered at him again. "You must be pretty sure, Potter. I'd like to see how you come up with the cash if he loses. One thing's for sure, you won't be borrowing it from your friend Weasley, now will you?" Draco laughed wickedly again.  
  
Harry was furious but tried not to let Malfoy see that he'd been riled. "Don't worry, Malfoy. I have it." He turned and walked away to go and stand by Sirius.  
  
Draco was smiling to himself, knowing that although Potter had tried to keep it hidden, he'd been able to get under his skin a bit with the comment about Weasley. Stupid Weasleys. Bunch of moronic...  
  
"So, how is he faring?"  
  
Draco turned at the female voice that interrupted his musings. "What?"  
  
A girl about his age, dark of complexion and hair, was standing there looking to him for a reply, and Draco found himself standing there not answering as he took in the deep cocoa eyes that looked back at him.  
  
"I asked how he was faring," the girl replied patiently. She indicated where Lupin was repeatedly hexing Snape. "The Potions master."  
  
"Oh." Replied Draco. "Fine, I guess."  
  
"He's very brave for accepting the challenge by Marius, don't you think?" She mused aloud as she watched from where she stood next to him.  
  
"Brave?" Draco asked, looking at her incredulously. "The man is an idiot. He's going to get trounced by Marius tomorrow."  
  
She frowned a little. "Perhaps, but knowing that and still going through with it to defend his honor and the right to declare for his..um...ladyfriend takes an act of courage."  
  
"You mean his paramicaan?" Draco asked, a bit facetiously.  
  
The girl lit up a little. "Yes. Exactly!" She missed the edge to his tone of voice and offered her hand. "I'm Beska."  
  
Draco shook her hand quickly. "Draco," he replied, trying not to roll his eyes at the Nemorosi girl.  
  
"You're a student at Hogwarts, then?" She asked, clearly intent on continuing a conversation.  
  
"Yes." Draco replied. "Fifth year. And you?" His reply was less than enthusiastic.  
  
"Fifth year, Beauxbatons," she replied. "So, what brings you here? Interest in the council proceedings?"  
  
"Yes." He lied, not really wanting to admit that his involuntary presence was so that Snape could babysit him after the stunt he'd pulled the night of the party.  
  
"So, what do you think?" She asked. "Do you think the Nemorosi should go after the Death Eaters?"  
  
Draco stared at her for a moment, and then became amused that she would ask him, of all people, that question. The girl had no idea, obviously. "It's a difficult decision," he replied noncommittally.  
  
"Absolutely, but I think they should act. The Death Eaters are becoming too powerful, and they've killed too many witches," Beska answered.  
  
Draco was more amused at the thought that Beska most certainly didn't know about the mark that Snape, who she was admiring earlier, bore on his arm. He decided to have a little fun. "It's such a shame that so many innocent women had to die," he said, feigning mock concern.  
  
Beska looked pleased that he thought so, and the thought suddenly occurred to Draco that it was possible his stay here for the next few days might become more interesting if he played his cards right. She had turned her deep brown eyes to where Snape was being helped up by Lupin, and Draco took the opportunity to assess her other features while she wasn't looking. Not half bad. Not bad at all.  
  
He decided as he looked her over that he definitely liked the prospect of a sweet little Nemorosi plaything showing him a bit of wandless magic. Of course, not the type that Snape was struggling with at the moment, but more the type that Lorien had no doubt demonstrated for the Potions master in the past. "So," he began, engaging her in a topic that he really had no interest in whatsoever, "how do you like Beauxbatons?"  
  
She looked pleased that Draco was making an effort to engage her in further conversation, and Draco's wicked thoughts continued as the girl rambled on about her school.  
  
*  
  
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By dinnertime that evening, Severus had progressed in defending himself from much of what Perth and Remus threw at him, and he found the better things went the greater his confidence became. Lorien had been right, it was really all in one's mindset. Of course, tomorrow afternoon would be different against Marius, and Severus still hadn't devised much of an offense, but ultimately his goal was to survive the encounter with his pride intact and not much more. He had the luxury of knowing that regardless of the outcome of the duel that Lorien would remain with him.  
  
The group broke for a bit to rest and to eat, and then Perth dragged Severus once again back to his lessons, intent on seeing if the Potions master would be a quick study in learning some offensive spells.  
  
Lorien found that she needed more of a break from watching the grueling trials that Taber was putting Severus through. It was nerve-wracking to watch him go through this and she decided to go for a walk.  
  
She'd only gone a short distance, when she heard someone coming up behind her. She turned to see who it might be, and was surprised to find Remus walking towards her.  
  
"Hi." He said cheerfully.  
  
"Hi, yourself." She said.  
  
"You alright?" He asked, sounding a little concerned.  
  
"I'm fine. I just needed to take a break from watching him take a beating all day," she replied.  
  
"He's doing pretty well," Remus admitted.  
  
"He is. I just wish we had more time," she said. "I don't know if it's going to be enough against Marius tomorrow."  
  
"He'll be fine, Lorien. I threw some pretty tough stuff at him this afternoon and he managed to avoid most of it." He smiled. "And don't think I'd miss the opportunity to have a free shot at hexing him."  
  
Lorien laughed. "So, you weren't going easy on him?"  
  
"Hell, no." Remus laughed.  
  
"That's encouraging." Lorien said with a smile.  
  
"Why is that?" Remus asked her.  
  
She stepped forward and placed her hand on his arm. "You're much more talented that Marius, Remus."  
  
"Good. You know as much as I hate to admit this, Lorien, I hope that Severus does well tomorrow." Remus said.  
  
"What made you decide that?" She asked in an amused fashion.  
  
"I met the charming Marius yesterday," he replied.  
  
Lorien rolled her eyes. "Enough said."  
  
"Well, I just wanted to make sure that you were ok." Remus turned to go, and then stopped and spoke to her without looking back at her. "May I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course, Remus," she said, wondering what he wanted to ask her.  
  
"Are you happy, Lorien?" He asked softly.  
  
"Sorry?" It took her a second to realize what he was asking.  
  
Remus turned back again to look at her. "Does he make you happy?"  
  
Lorien thought he looked genuinely concerned, but of course this was Remus. She knew he was genuinely concerned. "Yes." She answered softly.  
  
"Does he love you?" Remus asked, watching her carefully.  
  
Lorien merely smiled and indicated the place across the clearing where Severus was being put through his paces by Perth again.  
  
Remus looked where she pointed and then laughed and nodded. "He loves you." Remus walked the few paces back to where she was and took her hand in his. "I'm very glad, Lorien. I've only ever wanted for you to be happy."  
  
Lorien smiled and twined her fingers through his. "And you, Remus? Are you happy?" She looked into the soft gray eyes.  
  
"Lorien," he began, "things are wonderful right now. I get to do what I love best and teach every day," he replied. "I have Marlina and Noah in my life, and I can't even tell you how much they've come to mean to me. Sirius is free, so I have my best friend back...yes, I'm very happy."  
  
Lorien looked pleased. "You deserve to be happy, Remus. No one deserves it more."  
  
He smiled at her again. "Come here," he said quietly, and he pulled her to him in a warm embrace, holding her tightly for a long moment. "I also still have you," he said softly. "I'm glad, Lorien."  
  
"You always will, Remus," she said quietly, holding him tighter for a minute.  
  
Remus finally released her and held her at arms length. "You know what else?" He asked, and she knew him well enough to know she was about to laugh.  
  
"What?" She asked, smiling already.  
  
"Snape." He replied.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I believe that on top of everything else that Severus might even despise me a little less than he used to." He grinned at her. "My life is nearly complete."  
  
Lorien did end up laughing and then strolled back to the clearing with one of her best friends.  
  
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A/N: Next chapter - The duel! 


	41. The Duel

Jtyw - welcome! Can't believe you caught up that fast!  
  
I Found two interesting very short pieces written by Neci . I recommend reading them. One is advice from Arthur to Ginny, and the other is called 'Valiant', sort of a brief Ode to Gryffindors.  
  
A/N: Well, I've finally done it. Some of you already know that this Slytherin lass has developed a bit of a fascination with a certain Gryffindor, and that I've had a little plot bunny nagging me insistently for quite some time. (Pesky as pixies, those bunnies.) I've finally started on a story for him. (Sorry, not you, Scott.) I'm talking about Sirius Black.  
  
It's called Days of a Dog Summer and it begins where POA leaves off, after Sirius has been on the run with Buckbeak. It's rated R to give me a little more leeway where I walk a fine line sometimes with the rating. The prologue of sorts, and the first real chapter are up. Let me know if you think it has promise.  
  
Oh, and since I've been busy this week with Sirius and the duel, Tom will be back next chapter. ;)  
  
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The Duel ~*~  
  
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The morning had dawned cool and misty, but by afternoon the fog had burned off and left a gray, clouded sky over the clearing where the council was to meet again. Nearly forty-eight hours had elapsed since the group had last been present, and as the council members arrived to take their seats, many of the Nemorosi witches and wizards gathered to witness the not-often-seen event.  
  
Perth stood a ways off in the trees, watching as Severus paced agitatedly back and forth in front of him, black robes swirling every time he turned.  
  
"This is ridiculous," he snarled for the third time, whirling and pacing back the other way.  
  
"It'll be over soon," Taber said. "You're going to be fine, Severus. You've just got a case of nerves, that's all," the older man said, trying to calm the younger one down.  
  
"I still can't believe that I ever let you talk me into opening my mouth in front of that bloody council!" Severus snapped, venting his frustration on his newly acquired teacher.  
  
Taber laughed. "I merely gave you the suggestion, my friend. You're the one that decided that she was worth putting yourself on the line for."  
  
Snape stopped pacing and stared at Taber. "I suppose that you've gotten what you want? You're convinced now that I really care about her?" He asked.  
  
"I am." Perth still looked a bit amused.  
  
"Splendid." Snape hissed.  
  
Taber smiled at him warmly. "I believe that she is as well." He indicated where Lorien was walking towards them, looking lovely with her hair up and clad in rich green Nemorosi robes. "I'll meet you over there," he said quietly, leaving Severus to speak with Lorien alone.  
  
"It's nearly time," she said softly as she came to stand near him.  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"You don't have to do this, you know," she said.  
  
"I know," he said with a sigh. "Promise you'll do your best to patch me back together afterwards."  
  
"I have before," she teased. "And when you've survived much worse than Marius, at that," she said as she moved closer and reached up to gently touch his temple. "It's all up here, Severus." She placed her hand against his cheek. "You're the most talented wizard I know, and I have ever so much faith in you."  
  
Severus looked into her eyes and reached out to draw her closer. He leaned down a little to kiss her as she closed her eyes, but stopped abruptly when Marius walked by and commented.  
  
"Get a good one in now, while you're still standing, old man," Marius sneered. He laughed and continued to walk away.  
  
Severus looked unbelievingly at Lorien. "Old man? Did he just call me old man?"  
  
Lorien cringed a little. "Yes."  
  
"On second thought, perhaps you'd better be ready to patch Marius back together," he snarled, and turned to walk in the direction the younger blonde wizard had just gone. He whirled abruptly again, covered the distance back to Lorien in a few steps, grabber her around the waist and pulled her sharply against him. He kissed her soundly as before she could even react. "Hold that thought," he commanded, and let her go to follow Marius to the clearing.  
  
Lorien looked up as she saw Rachel, Ilizabeth, and Althea approach.  
  
"Ready, love?" Rachel asked squeezing Lorien's hand.  
  
Lorien nodded, and her three friends accompanied her to watch the duel.  
  
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Draco walked to the clearing and spotted Harry standing in a spot not far from Remus and Sirius so that he could witness the duel between the brash Marius and the Hogwarts Potions master, and he went to stand a short distance away from the irritating Gryffindor. He wanted to be close at hand to be able to say 'I told you so' when Potter lost their bet.  
  
Draco, of course thought the whole idea of a wandless duel was absolutely pointless, and he had little respect for the blonde wizard's abilities, but if the man was willing to go to this much trouble to make life difficult for Snape, well, Draco had to admit that it did score a few points in his mind.  
  
"Isn't this unreal?"  
  
Draco looked to his left to see Beska stepping into place next to him, looking at the clearing. She was wearing the traditional green Nemorosi robes this afternoon, and Draco noted quickly that they clung here and there in all the right places as he looked her over.  
  
He smiled at her. "Good afternoon, Beska," he drawled. "You look very nice," he commented offhandedly.  
  
The dark haired girl blushed a little. "Thank you. That's sweet of you to say so." She smiled at the taller boy.  
  
"Sweet, nothing. One look at you and I can almost imagine myself in that clearing." He flirted shamelessly, taking in the exposed areas of her olive skin.  
  
Beska laughed and blushed a deeper shade. "You're a wicked one, Draco."  
  
He touched her arm for a second and looked into her eyes. "You have no idea." He purred.  
  
Beska laughed again as Draco suddenly caught Harry glancing his direction. He frowned a little.  
  
"What?" Beska looked where Draco was looking. "Your classmate - he's Harry Potter, isn't he?" She asked suddenly.  
  
Draco was annoyed that she knew who Harry was so quickly, and also that she had that typical trace of awe in her voice. "Yes," he said with forced patience.  
  
"It must be difficult for him to be so famous," Beska commented. She looked back at Draco. "I suppose it must be difficult for everyone around him at times as well."  
  
Draco stared at her, surprised at this view from the young Nemorosi. He shrugged. "Annoying is more like it."  
  
"I guess I can see your point," she said. "It's not really his fault, but does it bother you that he constantly gets all kinds of attention?"  
  
Draco shrugged. "I guess. You know, I think you're the first non- Slytherin to ever say that to me about Potter," he said, scrutinizing her a little. "What makes you so insightful?" He asked, flirting once again.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I went to school with Fleur Delacour. That should speak for itself."  
  
Draco grinned at her, knowing that it was probably annoying for a lot of the girls to fall in the shadow of the overachieving witch of veela descent.  
  
"Talk about annoying," she said, 'if it wasn't one thing about her, it was another."  
  
"Tell me! It's always Potter this, Potter that!" Draco sneered.  
  
"I bet he practically has his own fanclub, doesn't he?" She commiserated.  
  
"And the worst part is the teachers. They absolutely adore him," Draco replied.  
  
"Doesn't the favoritism just make you want to gag?" She asked.  
  
"Daily." Draco admitted, and then looked to where the duel was about to get underway.  
  
He watched Snape sweep into the clearing, an imposing tall figure in black, and thought about what Beska had just said. Snape was one of the few teachers that didn't blatantly favor Potter. Even now that it was so apparent that his loyalties no longer were with the dark lord, Snape still refused to grant Harry any extra leeway. There was something to be said for that, and Draco found that it was one of the things that he still grudgingly respected in the man.  
  
Draco took one last look at the dark eyed girl beside him. Her comments had been a breath of fresh air in place of all the usual Potter-worship, and he found that he thought maybe she wasn't so bad, for a Nemorosi treehugger, anyway.  
  
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Snape barely heard any of what the woman at the head of the council was saying as he glared at Marius. The arrogant younger Nemorosi was looking at him the same way, and he found himself furious that the idiot would go through all this just to annoy Lorien and make things difficult all the way around. He took a deep breath, and forced himself to marshal control of his anger. It wouldn't do to enter the duel in an irrational state, and Snape knew he needed to have his wits about him if he were going to have any chance of standing up to Marius.  
  
Marius himself was pleased with the mayhem that he had created, and was looking forward to dispatching Snape quickly. He knew that there was little chance if any that Lorien would look on him favorably afterwards, but it was enough to annoy his ex to no end, and Marius considered that payment in return for her ending their relationship.  
  
He'd seen the irrational anger that his comment had elicited from Snape a few minutes before, and he turned to listen to the last instructions that the head of the council gave, quite pleased with himself.  
  
He was less pleased when he glanced again at Snape and saw the calm, unblinking stare meet his own with a cold, glittering, black gaze. He had the faintest impression of a predator lurking in the shadows of those dark eyes, waiting patiently for the right moment to spring forth and snatch unsuspecting prey. He didn't think he liked what he thought he saw.  
  
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Lorien stood next to Perth with her three girlfriends on her other side, and Remus and Sirius just beyond Taber. Harry stood near his godfather, and a bit beyond him, Draco stood watching with Beska LaRue. Lorien was nervous, and she hoped that it didn't show too much. She didn't want Severus to see any hint of doubt from her whatsoever, but she couldn't help but worry about the outcome.  
  
Rachel took Lorien's hand, knowing that her friend must be worried about her wizard, and she smiled reassuringly at her concerned friend who gratefully clung to her hand. "Scared?" She asked in a whisper.  
  
"A little." Lorien admitted in a low whisper.  
  
"He'll be fine," Rachel said.  
  
"I know," said Lorien quietly.  
  
"He's gotten through worse," added Rachel. "You've said so yourself."  
  
"I know," repeated Lorien.  
  
"Then why do you look so worried?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Do I?" Lorien was concerned that Severus would notice.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Damn. I hope he doesn't see it. It's just that...Rachel, what do I do if it comes to a draw?" Lorien asked nervously.  
  
Rachel's eyes went wide. She hadn't considered that it might end that way, and she looked at Lorien sympathetically. "Let's just hope it doesn't."  
  
"Yes, but what if it does?" Lorien asked, still in a low whisper.  
  
"I'd say that Marius is in deep trouble." Rachel said, quite amused.  
  
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Remus and Sirius could tell that something was bothering Lorien, and Remus leaned closer to Perth. "What's got Lorien so frazzled over there?"  
  
Taber leaned over to whisper back. "She and Rachel are worried about the duel ending in a draw."  
  
"That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, would it?" Remus asked very quietly.  
  
"No." Taber appeared thoughtful.  
  
"What happens if it's a draw?" Remus asked.  
  
"Lorien will be the one to decide the outcome." Taber replied, watching as the two men moved to face each other.  
  
"Oh." Remus said. "Shouldn't be a big deal then, should it?" He leaned away again.  
  
Perth answered quietly, nearly to himself. "It could."  
  
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The contrast between the two opponents was striking as they met in the center of the clearing. The slightly younger Marius was tanned, fair haired and ruggedly handsome, dressed in robes of crimson and brown, and he carried himself with an air of reckless arrogance. Severus painted a different picture altogether - taller, fairer of skin and raven haired, and as he watched the younger man with unnerving intensity in his ebony eyes, Marius was once again reminded of a predator's unblinking stare.  
  
The two wizards squared off, eyeing each other for a moment longer, and then with a word from the head of the council it began.  
  
Marius acted first, seeking to gauge just how much the foolish teacher had learned in the past few days, so that he didn't make any careless mistakes, and could end this quickly. He spoke a word and hit Snape with a moderate stunning spell, and was pleased when it drove the dark robed mage back a couple of paces. Snape had managed to block it, but it was apparent that what he had learned was going to have it's limitations.  
  
Marius hit him twice more, with the same spell, toying with him, and Snape managed to parry it each time, but was driven backwards a few paces with each hex.  
  
Marius grinned at the man across from him. "Shall we make it a little more interesting?" He asked sarcastically.  
  
"Be my guest." Snape replied calmly.  
  
'Arrogant bastard.' Thought Marius. 'Acting so calm when you're about to get your ass kicked.' He spoke a different spell and slammed Snape ferociously. He grinned as the Potions master was shoved back considerably, and nearly lost his balance.  
  
Lorien tensed and gasped as she saw Severus nearly fall after being struck by the hex that Marius hurled at him. It was unnerving to watch this, knowing that she had to, and that she couldn't interfere.  
  
Snape managed to recover and faced Marius calmly again.  
  
"You don't look too worried," Marius commented, circling his opponent.  
  
"Why should I be worried?" Snape purred, watching Marius with cold eyes.  
  
"Because," Marius replied, slamming Snape brutally again and taking several steps closer to the backpedaling man, "you're about to be taught a lesson, Professor." Marius sneered the last word.  
  
"Really?" Snape asked, sounding a bit bored. "And I suppose that you're the one that's going to give me that lesson?"  
  
"Definitely," Marius said, and raised his hand to hex Snape again.  
  
Severus fell back a few more paces - just far enough for Marius to remain convinced that he had the upper hand. "Very well then, Marius. Let's begin, shall we? I must warn you," he said, folding his arms across his chest, "I'm a quick study." Snape stood unmoving, black eyes boring into those of the Nemorosi mage.  
  
"Fine, then study this!" Marius cried, and hit Snape with the very type of spell the Potions master hoped the now overconfident younger wizard would. A large blast of fire blazed from where Marius had conjured it and struck the black robed man dead on.  
  
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Rachel, Ilizabeth, and Althea gasped as the fireball hit Snape, and Lorien leaned forward a little to see better what had happened though the cloud of flame and smoke. She prayed to Merlin that the amulet she had given him had done its job, or she was indeed going to have her work cut out for her patching him back together.  
  
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Marius shook his head in disgust. Snape hadn't even had a chance of blocking that one. He hadn't even tried. It was over too all too quickly, and he took a step forward to see if the man had even survived as the flame and smoke evaporated.  
  
Snape involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut as the enormous blast hit him, and as the temperature around him soared upwards to a frightening degree, he found he remained unharmed by the flames. He thanked Merlin at that point that the witch that loved him was also large green fire-breathing lizard, and it occurred to him at that moment that there was just something damn sexy about the woman being a dragon. Save that thought for later.  
  
When the smoke cleared, Marius was more than a little surprised not to find Snape in a smoldering pile of burning black robes, and even more surprised when the man stepped forward quickly and grabbed him by the front of his own robes.  
  
"My turn," Snape said in a low dangerous voice, and he dumped the contents of the small vial he had pulled out of the small velvet pouch at his belt down the front of the robes that Marius wore. A single word ignited the flammable mix and Marius suddenly discovered that he was the one on fire.  
  
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Lorien smiled on the sidelines as she watched the discomfort that Marius was now in while he worked at extinguishing the flaming robe he wore. She thought he'd better put them out quickly, because she'd be damned if she were going to lift a finger to heal the portion of his anatomy that was now in jeopardy.  
  
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Severus had plenty of time to pull another vial as Marius cursed heartily and jumped around for a moment while he was trying to extinguish the flames. This one was a smoky violet color and Snape downed the contents himself, hoping the Class IV would restore his vision quickly should Marius go for a blinding hex.  
  
Marius looked at Snape furiously as he finally cast off the burning robe and they faced each other again.  
  
Snape dodged the next curse, not knowing what he had just avoided, but knowing enough Nemorosi to know that it sounded nasty. The following one he blocked deftly, and likewise the one after that.  
  
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Perth distractedly hit Remus in the arm each time his newest protégé correctly blocked the next spell, excited that he'd lasted this long. Remus merely rolled his eyes at Sirius.  
  
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It was dawning on Marius that Snape was indeed a quick study, and that he was better prepared than he'd originally thought as the man actually cast a wandless hex that Taber had taught him the night before. It was a simple spell inducing severe vertigo, but Marius was surprised enough at Snape actually casting a spell on the offensive, that he didn't block all of it effectively in time. It was something that Perth and Severus had hoped for.  
  
As Marius felt the ground start to spin away underneath him, he realized that he'd been hit, and he furiously lashed out at Snape again before falling to his knees.  
  
Severus had dreaded this particular spell, and when it hit him he knew that he had no effective defense against it. Darkness surrounded him completely, and he hoped that Marius would be incapacitated long enough for the restorative potion to go to work. IF it worked. The Potions master's hand involuntarily went to his eyes, as disorientation set in and he dropped to his knees to keep from falling backwards.  
  
Marius was miserable as the world spun around him. It was all he could do to remain upright on his knees while the intense sensation of imbalance and nausea that was quickly setting in. He could see that Snape was also on his knees, sightless with a hand pressed over his aching eyes. If he were going to be able to finish this it was right now, and he practically crawled the few feet to where Snape knelt.  
  
Severus knew that Marius was closer, but how close he was he couldn't judge until his head was snapped back by forceful contact from Marius's fist, and he found himself knocked backwards, hand now going to his jaw. "Bastard!" He spat, tasting blood and feeling it on his chin as he struggled back to his knees.  
  
Snape was beside himself. He'd been hit in the face more times than he'd care to recall recently, and the taste of blood again would have made him see red, if he could see at all.  
  
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Lorien saw the blood as Severus hit the ground again, and involuntarily took a step forward. She stopped as Perth grabbed her arm and held her back, shaking his head silently as he drew her back to him. "Leave him," the gray haired wizard said softly.  
  
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Marius fell over from the combined force of the contact of the punch at Snape, and the dizziness of the hex, and he struggled while feeling intensely nauseated to get back on his knees.  
  
Snape made it to his knees first and pulled the other vial from his belt and waited. He'd only have one shot at this, and it was going to take a bit of a sacrifice on his part to be able to make it work. He braced himself as he heard Marius rising again, and waited for the next blow.  
  
It came with alarming suddenness, and as Snape felt his head snap sideways again, he at least maintained the presence of mind to grab for the other man's arm, and he managed to pull the nauseated wizard backwards with him. Both men crashed into the ground with similar groans.  
  
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Lorien's face sank into her hands as Perth tightened his grip around her shoulders. She hated seeing him bleeding, and she could barely bring herself to look back up.  
  
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Snape knew that it was now or never and ignored the pain in his head and jaw as he felt Marius retching but trying to rise again next to him. If Marius hit him like that again, he was probably done. Severus swung his own hand blindly for Marius's head, but when he made contact it wasn't with a fist, it was with open fingers that grabbed a handful of long blonde hair and yanked the man's head back.  
  
Marius let out a small grunt as his head was pulled back and he cursed at Snape as he reached up to pry open the deathgrip on his hair. It gave Snape just the opening he needed, and he flicked the top off the vial in his other hand with his thumb and aimed for where he guessed Marius's mouth to be. His blind estimate was only partially right, and Marius gagged as he swallowed a few drops of awful tasting potion.  
  
If Marius had swallowed all of the petrifying draught, he would have found himself frozen in place until someone, and certainly not Snape, had managed to brew the correct mandrake restorative. He was fortunate to have only ingested a few drops, and he found that it just greatly impeded his movements. Between that and the intense vertigo he was experiencing, it was enough to keep Marius on the ground, struggling to rise.  
  
Severus had let go of the handful of hair, and had fallen back again on the ground, panting from the exertion. He didn't know how much of the potion that Marius had received, and he didn't care. It evidently had been enough to stop the man from attacking again for the moment, and Snape could hear the man's ragged breathing a few feet away.  
  
He wanted to get up, but between the blindness that had yet to wear off, and the ache in his eyes, head and jaw, it was difficult to know which way was up. He knew that all he had to do was make it to his feet again, and it would be over, and he struggled to make it at least as far as his knees. He might have actually won the duel at that point, if he had just a moment longer, but the woman that was the head of the council had judged that she'd given them enough time, and she finally called for the end.  
  
Damn! Snape was frustrated at first, wanting to beat the arrogant Marius outright, but as he realized what he'd actually accomplished, he nodded to himself in grim satisfaction and was content with the draw. He'd kept his pride intact, and once someone cast the countercurse to the damn perpetual darkness spell, he would be free to go to Lorien, and the whole idiotic thing would be over.  
  
He made no further attempt to get up, but stayed on his knees in the darkness, trying to catch his breath as the blood ran down his chin. Marius had made it to his knees nearby, and was now retching again from the vertigo-induced nausea.  
  
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Mixed emotions broke out in the group standing around Lorien as several people went to help Marius and Severus to their feet. Taber stood there looking grave, Remus and Sirius were considering what Snape had just come through with grudging admiration, Harry was pleased that he hadn't lost the bet, and Draco was amazed that he hadn't won.  
  
Lorien herself was standing looking at Rachel as if in shock until she heard Remus say something to her.  
  
"I think they're going to need your help," he said, indicating the bleeding and staggering men that were being helped across the clearing. He frowned when he saw the look on her face. "Lorien, it's alright. Severus will be ok as soon as we reverse the blindness."  
  
"It's not that," she said hoarsely.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked, now becoming concerned.  
  
"It's a draw," said Rachel when Lorien didn't answer. "Now, Lorien will have to decide the outcome."  
  
Remus shrugged. "So? All she has to do is pick Severus and it's over."  
  
Taber finally spoke up. "It's not that simple, Remus. She has to face each of them in a duel herself, and which ever one defeats her is declared the winner."  
  
Remus looked back across the clearing, and decided that he actually felt bad for the dark robed wizard that was at that moment, still blissfully ignorant of what was about to take place. 


	42. Playing Rough

Hey Jilly - I'd like to say that I won't leave you hanging again, but where's the fun in that?  
  
Radioactive rainbow - welcome to the second duel. That's over 70 chapters! Thanks for sticking with it!  
  
Neci also now has a short little vignette about Lupin, one about Percy's ambitions, and one about Ron, and how he debates whether or not the Sorting hat put him in the right house. Her writing style is unique, and she offers an interesting perspective in each of her pieces. They're short, but well-worth reading.  
  
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Nytd sits at the small table and stares back at the man across from her. She nods hesitantly. "Alright...Tom," she says. It feels a bit awkward to use the name, but it would probably be even stranger to sit there and call this (currently) pleasant-looking man Voldemort.  
  
She clears her throat. "So, you've had a chance to look at the chapters I sent you?"  
  
"Yes." He takes another sip of cappuccino. "I've added a few notes here and there with a red quill where I would tweak things a bit, but other than that..." He shrugs and hands her a stack of papers.  
  
"Tweak?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes. Just a line or two here and there," he says rather innocently.  
  
Nytd knows better, and instinctively flips to the pertinent chapters. Red ink is everywhere, and two long paragraphs have been added to the end of the chapter.  
  
"You can't re-write the end!" Nytd whispers agitatedly.  
  
"Oh, can't I?" Voldemort asks, more serious now.  
  
"No!" she says, trying to keep her voice down.  
  
Voldemort's eyes flash dangerously red for an instant, and then he regains his composure. "We shall see," he says ominously.  
  
"Look, this is my version, and it's going to end the way I want it to," Nytd says, trying to be insistent but remain civil. It wouldn't do to make Lord Voldemort angry in a bookstore full of muggles. "I merely asked for your input so that I portray things accurately."  
  
Tom leans across the table and drops his voice dangerously. "You want accurate?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Completely authentic?" He continues.  
  
"Yes." Nytd takes a sip of coffee.  
  
"Very well then, Mistress Nytd. Let's start with this scene," he says.  
  
Nytd chokes a bit on her coffee. "This scene?"  
  
"Yes. I suppose that it goes something like this?" Voldemort narrates further. "Nytd talks to Lord Voldemort, they have cappuccino and then they have words. Nytd sticks to her guns and refuses to change the end of the story, and they glare at each other, and part ways angrily -Voldemort returning to his plotting, and Nytd to her writing. Sound about right?" He asks, somewhat sarcastically.  
  
Nytd nods.  
  
Tom leans closer again and places his hand over hers. "That's a bit dull, don't you think? Perhaps we can liven things up?" The eyes flash red again as his hand clamps firmly on her wrist.  
  
Nytd gasps, realizing she's in deep dragon dung.  
  
Tom continues, a bit more casually. "Have you ever been to England, Nytd?"  
  
Nytd appears momentarily puzzled, and then horror slowly slips into her expression. "You wouldn't!"  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't?" Voldemort tightens his grip on her wrist as he reaches with the other hand for his wand in his robes.  
  
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Playing Rough ~*~  
  
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By the time Snape had been helped to the edge of the clearing, he had enough hazy vision back to be able to walk on his own, and he shrugged the two men that were helping him off with a gruff word of thanks.  
  
Marius was being helped by a number of young wizards that had taken his side in the matter, and it was only a few moments before the vertigo was gone and he was nearly recovered.  
  
Lorien looked a bit frazzled but went to Severus to guide him the rest of the way to the edge of the clearing to sit down on a nearby stump. Commotion surrounded the entire area as the implications of the duel's outcome reached the rest of the gathering.  
  
"Are you alright?" She asked, quickly dispelling the remains of the blindness, and starting to feel his jaw.  
  
He nodded slightly and let her deal with the bleeding that was still trickling from where he'd been struck. The side of his jaw was bruising, and his lip was split and swollen. He was grateful for the repair that she did quickly and gently, and when she pulled her hands away to look at him, only the faintest discoloration could still be seen.  
  
"Better?" She asked.  
  
"Much," he said, starting to appear just a bit pleased with himself. "Well?" He asked expectantly.  
  
"You did wonderfully," she said with a smile, but her eyes gave the fact that something was wrong away.  
  
Severus frowned. "What?"  
  
"You're not done," Lorien said.  
  
"Yes, I am. It's quite evident that the duel is over, Lorien," he said, starting to become annoyed.  
  
Lorien shook her head, looking somewhat dismayed, instead of giving him the look of adoration that he'd fully expected after having taken such a beating on the field of combat.  
  
"You look worried again," he said, unhappily. "Aren't you pleased with the outcome?" He asked, sneering at her a little.  
  
"Of course, Severus." Her tone wasn't convincing.  
  
"Lorien, is it just me," he asked, "or isn't this the point where the vied- for female, having had her honor justly defended by her champion, throws herself into said champion's arms, declares how wonderful he is, swears undying love for him, and promises him many, MANY sexual favors?" He looked at her expectantly. "Well, ISN'T IT?" He asked, clearly becoming more agitated.  
  
"There's something you don't know," she said softly.  
  
Severus looked at her incredulously. "There's not another ex-boyfriend that I haven't heard of, is there?"  
  
"I believe there's another Nemorosi custom that you haven't heard of," she said quietly.  
  
His eyes narrowed and his voice dropped dangerously. "And just what would that be?"  
  
She told him.  
  
"WHAT?" He asked. "I have to what!?"  
  
His eyes went to Perth Taber nearby, and he wondered for a moment if he'd have time to wrap his fingers around that the man's neck and choke the life out of him before he was mobbed by a large number of angry wandless wizards.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Remus and Sirius were staring at Perth as he explained the fact that Lorien herself would now have to enter the duel.  
  
"You must be joking," Sirius said, frowning with concern.  
  
"I assure you I am not," Taber replied solemnly.  
  
Remus looked worried. "I don't like the thoughts of her having to face the two of them," he said.  
  
"Surely you don't think Severus would do anything to endanger her?" Taber asked.  
  
"No, it's not Severus that I'm worried about," Remus answered, glancing across the clearing at Marius.  
  
Perth laughed. "You're worried about Lorien dealing with Marius? Frankly, Remus you ought to have pity on the man, in my opinion. I'd be willing to bet that after the stunt he's pulled, she's not going to show him much mercy." Taber seemed completely amused at this point.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Draco, Harry and Beska stood together, watching the news of what was going to happen spread across the gathered crowd of onlookers.  
  
"Care for a new wager, Potter?" Draco asked sarcastically.  
  
"No thanks." Harry answered. There was no way that he would side with Snape in this duel since he'd be facing Harry's own mentor, and he was hoping to see Lorien teach Snape a whole different lesson in wandless combat.  
  
Beska looked at Draco. "Who are you betting on?" she asked.  
  
Draco looked back from where he'd been watching Lorien speaking with an agitated Snape across the clearing. "I'll have to take Snape this time," he said.  
  
"You're going to bet against Lorien in a wandless duel?" She asked, laughing in surprise. "Well, in that case I'll take your wager," she said, grinning at the young blonde wizard.  
  
"You're on." Draco smiled, knowing that Beska had not seen what he just had across the clearing.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Snape was now up and pacing as he spoke in agitation again to Lorien. "I don't think this is a good idea," he complained.  
  
"It's tradition, Severus," she said. "I have to finish this."  
  
He whirled on her. "You don't have to do anything of the sort. It's over and done."  
  
"It isn't," she insisted softly.  
  
"I don't want you dueling with Marius," he replied, "and I certainly don't plan on dueling with my own paramicaan."  
  
Lorien's eyes narrowed. "Explain why you think I shouldn't face Marius after all the grief he's caused me."  
  
"Grief he's caused you?" Severus asked, rubbing his jaw a little. "No, I won't have it, Lorien. You might get hurt." He knew he'd made a mistake the second the words were out of his mouth.  
  
Lorien glared at him. "You think I might get hurt?" She asked dangerously. "Well, since when did you start playing the part of overprotective Gryffindor?"  
  
Snape glared back at her. "There's no need to get nasty, Lorien. I was merely voicing my concern for your well-being."  
  
"Huh! And were you implying that I might get hurt by Marius or you?" She inquired.  
  
Severus knew he was on dangerous ground now and backed off a little. "Surely you can't expect me to ...."  
  
Lorien cut him off angrily. "You think I can't handle facing you in a duel," she snarled. "Admit it!"  
  
Severus groaned aloud. "Don't be ridiculous."  
  
"I'm not being ridiculous," she said. "Look me in the eye and tell me that's not what you're thinking."  
  
"It would be a mistake," he said icily, his irritation at the situation now getting the better of him.  
  
Lorien stared at him. "So, is your lack of faith a personal one, or is it simply because I'm a witch?"  
  
How did he answer that loaded question? He offered no reply.  
  
Lorien fumed at him and turned and walked rapidly toward the clearing to meet Marius first, muttering to herself as she went. She got only a few paces away when she suddenly turned and strode back in Snape's direction. She walked to stand a foot away and stared up into the black eyes, taking his hand in hers. "Just so there are never any questions later on..." She reached into her robe, and drew out his wand, pressed it into his hand and then walked away again.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Snape stood at the edge of the clearing with Taber, Black and Lupin, arms folded across his chest, watching where Lorien now stood, waiting for Marius. He was glad at least to have his wand back, and planned on using it if Marius did anything to harm Lorien. At least the fact that Lorien faced the challenger first gave him a brief respite to rest and decide how he was going to handle the situation at hand.  
  
Lorien was seething by the time she'd left Severus and made it to the middle of the clearing to meet Marius, who sauntered out to meet her, clearly thinking that facing her in a duel was going to be a joke. She met his gaze with an icy stare.  
  
Marius spoke to her arrogantly. "Ah, the lovely Mistress Lorien, come to play at a boy's game." He knew the sexist comment would get her riled. "Going to try to finish what your friend the professor failed at?"  
  
"He didn't fail, Marius, and you know it," she said steadily. "You're very lucky you faced him without his wand."  
  
Marius laughed at her. "You've really got a thing for that Snape- fellow, don't you?" He asked. "Funny, I never pictured you as going for a teacher."  
  
"And why is that?" She asked.  
  
"Teachers? Why, they're rather dull, aren't they?" He asked, half serious. "I always rather thought you liked a bit of excitement."  
  
It was Lorien's turn to laugh at how little Marius knew. "You're right, Marius," she said as the signal came from the head of the council that the duel should begin. "I do like a bit of excitement in my life."  
  
Marius circled her, readying himself. "What more excitement could you ask for than being with me, love?" He asked in a playful manner, and then he threw the first hex.  
  
Lorien blocked it and shrugged. "Hard to top, I know." A devious thought sprang into her mind. "Makes a girl flustered just thinking about it," she flirted.  
  
Marius grinned. "So, you admit you've....thought about it?"  
  
Lorien moved closer and dropped her voice. "How could I not?"  
  
"Really?" Marius froze in place, wondering how serious she was. He never got a chance to see the look in her eyes that gave away the fact that she was duping him as she hit him with his own favored blinding spell.  
  
"Damn it, Lorien!" His hands went to his eyes.  
  
"Here, let me take your mind off your eyes," Lorien offered, and she hit him with a brutal version of the vertigo spell again.  
  
"Sh--!" Marius swore as he felt the ground start to spin wildly again.  
  
"What's wrong, Marius? Dizzy?" Lorien asked sweetly. "Here, let me give you a hand."  
  
Lorien reached out and gave him a small shove, and he went crashing to the ground, unbalanced from the brutal hex. It was only a few seconds more before he was retching again, and then laying on the ground moaning as he felt the ground spinning beneath him.  
  
Lorien stood over him and watched him writhe on the ground with nauseated misery. "Do you yield?"  
  
Marius nodded weakly, and Lorien quickly dispelled the two curses. He rolled onto his back and looked up at her ruefully. "That was dirty, Lorien."  
  
Lorien pressed her hand over her heart in a gesture of mock sincerity. "I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?" She asked sweetly. "I'm unfamiliar with this game you boys play. Was it wrong for me to kick your ass in under two minutes?"  
  
Marius glared at her from the ground.  
  
"Oh, get off it Marius. Serves you right for all the trouble you've caused." Lorien offered him her hand, and yanked him to his feet as he gripped it.  
  
Marius stepped close. "Well done, Sylvanesti," he whispered angrily. "Enjoy your next duel." He turned and walked off, defeated but knowing that he was still about to have the last laugh.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Snape watched as Marius walked away after being beaten by the blonde witch. So much for the rest he'd been hoping for. Remus and Sirius were clapping each other on the back and laughing along with Perth and Lorien's girlfriends in celebration of her quick victory, but Severus knew that he had a decision to make in the next few minutes.  
  
Wand or no wand? Technically Nemorosi duels were wandless, but Lorien had figured that it was her prerogative to waive that rule as the declared-for female, and had given him back his wand. He briefly considered handing it to Taber, and then thought better of it. He wasn't stupid, after all.  
  
Gripping his wand tightly, he walked determinedly to face Lorien in the center of the clearing.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lorien watched nervously as Severus approached, his expression unreadable. She had no idea what to expect from him, and it had her on edge. She wondered if he would treat her as he would Marius or any other wizard, or if he'd fear hurting her, and pull his punches, so to speak. She wasn't sure which thought bothered her more. She certainly wanted to be treated no differently, but on the other hand, she knew what a formidable opponent she faced in Severus, and she didn't relish the thought of being the target of some of the things she knew him capable of. Especially now that she'd given him back his wand. What the hell had she been thinking?  
  
The only thing she took comfort in was that if he won, the decision was made, and if she won, all she had to do was pick him. Then it would be over. Of course, they still had to get through the duel.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Snape stood there for several long seconds, just looking at Lorien and trying to decide how he was going to deal with her. He certainly didn't want to see her get hurt, but he knew that should include her feelings as well, and he decided that he knew her well enough to know that she'd be more upset if he treated her gingerly than if he caused her discomfort during the duel. It was settled in his mind. He might hold back a little, but not enough so that it would be obvious to Lorien.  
  
And he was certainly not going to hold back enough so that she'd stand a chance of winning. He smiled to himself as he found that the thought of beating her soundly, after all the trouble she'd caused him, held a certain amount of sadistic, vengeful appeal.  
  
He smiled a bit wickedly at her. "Are you ready, my love?" He purred dangerously, raising the wand she had unthinkingly returned to him in a fit of anger.  
  
Lorien knew she was in trouble, and that she was really no match for Severus in the dueling arena, but she was damned if she was going to back down now. He might defeat her, but she was at least determined to make him earn the victory. She looked at him, and then suddenly found herself smiling at the odd situation.  
  
"I'm ready," she said, stepping a little closer to him. "Are you going to be gentle with me, Severus?" She asked, teasing him.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Gentle?" He asked. "I hardly think you'd enjoy it as much if I were gentle with you," he said amusedly.  
  
She sighed a bit dramatically. "Very well, if you insist on playing rough, then."  
  
He stepped a bit closer. "I don't recall hearing any complaints from you before," he said quietly so that only she could hear him.  
  
Lorien knew where his train of thought was momentarily focused, and jumped at the chance to take advantage of the situation. He was going to kill her for this, but she needed to do everything she could to gain any sort of advantage. Before he could even raise his wand back up she had drawn her fist back and hit him as hard as she could.  
  
Snape was so shocked that his own witch had just punched him in the face, that his mouth dropped open. Lorien knew that nothing would have caught him more off guard, and as she shook her aching hand momentarily, she cursed her own stupidity again, and then she cursed him, sending him back into perpetual darkness as he gaped at her.  
  
"There," she said, looking ruefully at the split knuckles on her hand. "I can play rough too, Severus."  
  
She made the mistake of not moving quickly from where she stood.  
  
Snape reacted quickly, despite the blindness, and the blood that was now trickling down the corner of his mouth again, and Lorien found herself slammed none-too-gently onto her backside on the ground.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
On the sidelines, Perth winced as Lorien belted Snape and then hexed him, and Sirius grabbed Remus and throttled him good- naturedly as he watched the witch score the first points against the Slytherin. "Got him good, the greasy git!" He said jovially. "She oughta hit again a few more times just for fun."  
  
"Hers or yours?" Remus asked, still watching the duel intently.  
  
"Mine, of course," Sirius said, grinning.  
  
Taber spoke up at that moment. "What she really ought to do is.." He winced. "Move." He finished belatedly after seeing Lorien thrown to the ground.  
  
"Damn! He hit her pretty hard with that one," Sirius observed angrily.  
  
"She's in for worse if she doesn't get out of there fast," Remus added, watching Snape shaking his head. The blinding spell was wearing off quickly thanks to the potion he had taken not all that long ago.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lorien pulled herself off her tender backside, and started to get up slowly. When it dawned on her that Severus was looking directly at her she scrambled to her feet quickly and barely managed to duck the next hex.  
  
Snape was livid. "You wench!" He hissed. "I can't believe you actually hit me!" He flung another hex at her, and this one she wasn't able to avoid.  
  
Lorien felt something splatter her robes and left hand, and it only took a second to realize that whatever it was burned. She reflexively covered her burning flesh with her other hand, but by the time she had managed to stop the damage from being done, the rest of her robes were smoking in places. Acid was eating through her clothing, and she quickly shrugged out of her outer garment and let it fall to the ground. The delay, unfortunately, was long enough to allow Snape to make it to where she had backed up, and he grabbed her by her just repaired hand.  
  
"It'd be better if you just conceded now," he said, gripping her fingers so tightly that she winced.  
  
"I'm not making it that easy for you," she said defiantly, looking up into his midnight eyes.  
  
"Oh, aren't you?" He asked arrogantly, knowing it would infuriate the witch.  
  
"Bastard," she spat as she tried to yank her hand away and he tightened his grip even more.  
  
"Whispering such sweet nothings will get you nowhere, my dear," he said. "Last chance." He looked at her meaningfully as he gave her a last opportunity to surrender.  
  
Lorien yanked her arm away fiercely, glaring at him. "Get stuffed, Severus," she snarled, and backed away a few paces to better defend herself.  
  
"Such language, Mistress Lorien!" Snape said, obviously enjoying her irritation. "Very well, if you insist on continuing.." He hit her with another hex, which she blocked, and then again with several more that she defended herself from in rapid succession, although she was being driven back a pace or two each time.  
  
He let up for just a moment, and Lorien stood there panting from exertion, mind racing to find a way to deal with his aggressive attacks. She wasn't going to be able to last against that very much longer.  
  
Severus spoke again as he watched her trying to catch her breath and with a flick of his wand sent her skidding onto her rump again. His slightly arrogant manner returned as he stood over her. "Nothing like a tumble in the dirt before a roll in the hay, right, dearest?"  
  
Lorien glared at him as she got to her feet again. "Roll in the hay?" She asked, thinking he couldn't possibly be insinuating what it appeared he was.  
  
"Oh, yes," he said, gazing at her steadily, and then he dropped his voice. "After all I've been through on your account today, Sylvanesti," he said, "I believe you'll have your work cut out for you making it up to me...tonight."  
  
She never had a chance to retort as he hit her with another spell. She felt nothing at first, and thinking that he'd missed, issued a sigh of relief and faced him again. She was just beginning to think that his suggestion for later that evening sounded like an excellent idea when she saw the smirk he was looking at her with and realized what he'd done.  
  
"You didn't!" She whispered, trying to be angry, and failing somewhat. She knew that he did, even as she felt the increased adrenaline in her veins.  
  
He could have hexed her into next week at that point, but he stood there savoring the idea that he was now facing one very pissed off and turned on witch. He smiled knowingly at her, watching her struggle with the desire to throw herself on him for two different reasons entirely. "Interesting sensation, isn't it?" He quipped.  
  
She glared at him, from where she struggled silently.  
  
"Oh, you're mad, I know," he said, walking closer again, "but wouldn't you just love to get your hands on me?" He raised his wand again.  
  
Lorien meant to say something cutting to him, but his comment, under the influence of the arousal spell he'd just charmed her with, caused her picture something altogether different than her initial thoughts of strangling him, and she had all she could do to hold herself back. She winced a bit as Snape spoke another word and rapped her on the top of her head with his wand.  
  
Of course, she didn't defend herself since she'd been so preoccupied, and a faint mist now cascaded down over her as she stood there, horrified at what else he might have done. When she suddenly felt overwhelmed and hopeless, she knew what it was he'd hexed her with. The Mists of Despair. Lorien knew that all she had to do was step away from the mist surrounding her, but actually, what was the point? What was the point to any of this? She looked back at Severus, wanting him more at that moment from the first hex, but thinking that she'd probably never have him again because of the second one.  
  
The man was playing with her, teaching her a lesson, but it just didn't matter. Lorien nearly sank to her knees, distraught, knowing that the spell would end if she could just get out, but why even bother trying?  
  
"Lorien." He spoke her name softly, and the first spell took over again a bit as she sighed at the silken voice. She took one step toward him out of charm-induced longing, and quickly the hopelessness faded as she emerged from the mist.  
  
She shook her head to clear it. "You're a monster!" She hissed at him, despair gone, and now dealing with only one spell, part of which had been canceled out by the other.  
  
"I've been called worse," he mused.  
  
"I can't believe you've been so cruel," Lorien said, suddenly. "I...I didn't think that you'd ever be so mean to me, that you'd humiliate me like that." She started to sob a little. "I thought you loved me!" She said, a bit more emotionally, and then she started to cry harder, burying her face in her hands.  
  
Snape at first didn't know what to think, wondering if the effects of the mist had been too strong, but he knew they should have worn off the moment she stepped away from them. He frowned. That only meant one thing - Lorien was now really distraught over what he'd done, and he mentally kicked himself for not going a little easier on the woman so unused to combat. He felt even worse when she sank to her knees, crying even harder than before.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
A/N: Lorien's predicament of being hexed simultaneously by Severus with a sexual arousal spell, and the Mists of Despair was inspired by a similar situation that arose during a Dungeons and Dragons adventure that I took part in many, MANY years ago with a character named Lorien that has inspired part of the Nemorosi witch's personality. A particularly evil Dungeon Master found it amusing to impose the same pair of spells on my character during a melee. It occurred to me one day while I was contemplating the duel that it would be just the sort of thing that might amuse Snape. 


	43. A Tumble

A dozen wizards sit in the operations center of the Augusta branch of the Bureau of Magical Affairs, each monitoring five or six crystal balls that cover different areas of the state of Maine.  
  
Things are relatively quiet on this Tuesday afternoon, but it isn't long before one of the wizards sits upright and takes a closer look at the sector he's been monitoring in South Portland  
  
"Bloody hell!" He spins his chair around and calls to his supervisor at the other end of the room. "Code Red, Charlie! We got a WHaM going!" (Wizard Hexing Muggles)  
  
Charlie looks up from where he's penning a report on parchment and leaps to his feet. "What is it?" He crosses rapidly to gaze at the indicated crystal.  
  
"Borders, four wizards out of line," the first confirms, "and the store is crowded."  
  
"Dammit!" Charlie says. "Alright, let's get a team in there pronto."  
  
Alarms begin to sound throughout the Bureau. Once again, two dozen uniformed wizards gather quickly, running to the apparation room to be dispatched.  
Back at Borders..  
  
People nearby are starting to glance at the two people in the corner that are obviously having a quiet argument.  
  
"You can't!" Nytd gasps, trying to pull her hand away unsuccessfully.  
  
Tom draws his wands out of his robe. "Oh, but I can..." He trails off as a commotion breaks out near the café entrance. People are starting to leap up from their seats as three men in robes rush through the door, wands drawn.  
  
Nytd spots the three familiar faces and yells across the room. "Over here!"  
  
Sirius runs for the back of the store as Remus and Severus rush to confront Voldemort, who spots them and leaps from his seat, dragging Nytd around the table with him. More people are starting to run screaming from the store.  
  
The two wizards face the Dark Lord, who no longer is making any effort to keep up his pleasant appearance. Voldemort yanks Nytd's arm behind her, and points the wand at her throat.  
  
"Afternoon, Severus," he says, eyeing his former Death Eater.  
  
A woman nearby screams and Voldemort whirls on her. "Shut up!" A flick of the wand, and the woman is duct-taped to her chair and gagged. Voldemort turns back once more to face Snape and Lupin...  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
A Tumble ~*~  
  
*  
  
*  
  
It was now Perth that was upset on the edge of the clearing as he saw Lorien fall to her knees, crying. He wasn't sure exactly what Snape had done to her, but obviously it was something awful. He muttered agitatedly under his breath and glanced at Remus and Sirius, who looked just as concerned at seeing their friend reduced to tears.  
  
Rachel looked at the three worried men from where she stood with Althea and Ilizabeth and rolled her eyes. She leaned over to speak to them. "Honestly!" She whispered. "I can't believe you three are even buying that." She smiled mischievously at them, as did the other two women. "You men are all alike. Just can't stand to see a woman crying, can you?"  
  
They stared at her uncomprehendingly for a moment until Taber realized what Rachel was saying and chuckled. He looked at the two men beside him, grinning. "He's in trouble if he feels half as bad as we do." He directed their attention back to the duel.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Lorien." Snape said her name, trying to get her attention. She didn't respond, and remained where she was, face buried in her hands and sobbing. Damn. If there was one thing he hated to deal with, it was a crying woman. Especially this one. He lowered his wand and stepped next to her. "Lorien, are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine," she sobbed, "especially now." Her voice suddenly held little trace of the tears that were falling a moment ago.  
  
Snape knew instantly that he'd been had, and cursed the woman on the ground silently. She'd played on one of the weaknesses she knew he had, and now he was in trouble. Even as he saw her scramble back to her feet, he realized she had cast a spell while she was on the ground, and he found himself unable to pursue her as the vine that now sprouted from the dirt wound its way quickly several times around his ankle.  
  
"You bitch!" He hissed quietly, as the vines continued to sprout and grow under her direction, grabbing his other ankle.  
  
"Not having fun anymore, Severus?" She asked, wiping away the last of her tears. She had one last thought about being able to tear off his robes while he was restrained by the plant, and then the remains of that spell faded as well. "Well, let's see if we can do something about that."  
  
"This is ridiculous!" Snape spat, eyeing the large number of vines that were snaking upward. "You think I can't get past a stupid vine?" He raised his wand and blasted a new vine, only to have it replaced by another.  
  
Lorien shrugged. "It's not really the vines you have to worry about. It's the flowers," she said, pointing at the buds now appearing on the ends of many of the vines.  
  
"Flowers?" He asked, looking at where a trumpet shaped blossom the size of a snitch had opened near his hand. He peered at it closely. "What kind of flowers are..dammit!" He cried out as the small flower had snapped at his fingers, narrowly missing him with its sharp little teeth. Teeth?  
  
Lorien smiled at him sweetly, directing the plant further with a finger, and another blossom tried to snatch the wand from Snape's hand, as a third attacked from the rear.  
  
"No, you don't!" He said, yanking the wand out of reach. He would have put the wand in his other hand, but that hand reflexively jerked to defend himself as he yelped in pain at the bloom that had just sunk its teeth into his rump. He crushed the flower between his fingers, and quickly swatted at another coming near his face.  
  
"Dammit, Lorien!" He said, now blasting and swatting at more flowers that were intent on tasting his flesh.  
  
Lorien stood before him with her arms folded, surveying her handiwork as Snape fought off the vicious blooms. "Do you yield?" She asked.  
  
Snape was about to offer a scathing retort, but gasped dramatically and winced in pain as a single nasty blossom sank its teeth into his leg, quite high up on the inside of his thigh. He glared at Lorien as he tried to pry it off. "That," he snarled viciously, "was a bit close."  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Draco and Harry watched the newest development in the battle being waged with Beska a short distance from the others.  
  
"I thought for sure that she'd lost it." Draco commented.  
  
Harry hated to agree that he'd been upset as well when he saw Lorien on the ground crying, and was now grinning at the summoning he was witnessing.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Draco asked, watching the vines snake up out of the ground around Snape.  
  
"It's a plant summoning spell," Harry answered knowingly. "This one is the Vine of a Thousand Teeth," he replied, pleased that he knew something that Malfoy obviously didn't.  
  
"That's right!" Beska said. "Since when do Hogwarts students know about Nemorosi summoning spells?" She asked, apparently impressed with Harry's knowledge.  
  
Harry merely smiled at her, and then smiled more at the fact that it looked like Malfoy was unhappy that the dark haired girl was now paying attention to him.  
  
The three of them returned to watching Snape trying to fight his way free of the plant, and both boys suddenly cringed and gasped sympathetically as the flower grabbed their professor in a near miss.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lorien clapped a hand over her mouth, amused at Snape's new plight. She finally composed herself and spoke again. "Give up and I'll call it off," she offered sweetly.  
  
Severus finally managed to pry the offending flower off. "I don't think so," he said dangerously, and then blasted the very spot he was standing on with a large ball of fire that leapt up over his head.  
  
Lorien gasped and backpedaled furiously to get out of the way of the flames, and then she realized what he'd done. The fireball would kill off the entire plant, and Severus was still wearing the dragon's tooth around his neck.  
  
The smoke cleared a moment later, and Severus coughed once, and then looked at her dangerously, as he flipped his wand over once in his hand. "You are so dead," he hissed.  
  
He moved quickly, blasting a spot to Lorien's left, and jumped to intercept her as she went right. She cried out a little as he yanked her arm behind her. "So you want to fight dirty?" He asked. "Alright, that can be arranged," he said smugly. The tip of his wand was resting at her throat, and he spoke a word and drew it quickly down the front of her robe, letting go of her and stepping back at the same time.  
  
Lorien knew what he had done as petty revenge, and she also knew as she felt her robes falling apart that she was about to be facing him in front of a lot of people in her underthings if she didn't act quickly. Severus would expect her to modestly try to repair her robes, and that was when the attack would come. Well, the hell with that.  
  
Severus frowned as Lorien let the robes slide from her shoulders, but mostly because it instantly became apparent that it wasn't her own pale skin that was now being revealed, but the blue-green scales of the dragon that was facing him with glittering gold eyes. Damn. Well, he could hex the dragon's ass into next week as well as hers, and he went towards her knowing she couldn't harm him with dragonfire.  
  
The dragon lowered its head, golden eyes glittering menacingly, and rumbled at him with its snout inches away from his face.  
  
"Oh, get off it! You don't scare me in the least with that big bad lizard act," he said, staring her down. "Not going to be able to fry me, are you, my love?" He asked smugly, patting his chest where the amulet hung. The dragon narrowed its eyes, and he realized his mistake as his legs were swept brutally out from beneath him when she swung the tail he hadn't been watching.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
A cheer went up from the edge of the clearing as Remus, Sirius, and Perth watched Snape hit the dirt once again, dropped by the swipe of the dragon's tail. They leaned forward to get a better view of what was happening as the dragon pushed her front feet against Snape's shoulders, effectively pinning him to the ground.  
  
Sirius was pounding Remus gleefully on the back. "She's going to do it! She's going to beat him!" He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "He's never going to hear the end of this if I can help it."  
  
Remus said nothing, but it was obvious that he was just as amused as his friend.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Snape now had the unique experience of having an animal the size of a small dairy cow pounce on him, and he knew that if she pinned him for very long, the duel would be over. What the hell happened? He thought back to a few moments ago when she had nearly been on her knees before him, completely helpless in the grip of a double hex, and decided he definitely preferred that scenario. Merlin's wand! She was actually going to beat him......Snape suddenly had a thought.  
  
Merlin...Merlin had faced a dragon and defeated it at one point. As a matter of fact, if Snape recalled correctly, he'd faced a witch that had attacked him in the form of a dragon. How had he done it? He couldn't recall the exact details, but he remembered the way was something very simple. Very basic. Was there something simple he had in his arsenal that he'd overlooked, he wondered as the dragon snarled at him again.  
  
'What could be more simple than the disarming spell?' He wondered what would happen if it were used against a wandless opponent, and decided that he had nothing to lose or the duel would be over.  
  
He made one last tremendous effort to wrench his right arm free, and cried the word as he pointed the wand at the dragon. "Expelliarmus!"  
  
Lorien knew that she'd been a moment from victory as she suddenly experienced being wrenched out of dragon mode and into her own form for the very first time. It was something that she decided she never needed to experience again, and she knew the duel was over the moment she felt Severus move quickly and roll to pin her to the ground. She lay there a bit disoriented and breathless as she felt the point of his wand at her throat.  
  
"Do you yield?" He asked, a bit breathless himself.  
  
She looked up at him for a few seconds. He'd beaten her outright, and he'd also done it without going easy on her. Well, not too easy anyway. She decided as she nodded that she couldn't have been happier with the way things had turned out.  
  
Severus drew his wand away from her with the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. "Green today?" He asked wryly, still panting a bit.  
  
Lorien suddenly realized she might be a little happier if she weren't laying there in nothing but the green lace that he had his eyes on at the moment, but then Severus got to his knees and shrugged off his own robe, helping her slip into it as she sat up. He then stood and offered her his hand, pulling her smoothly to her feet.  
  
Lorien went with Snape to stand before the head of the council, where the woman pronounced him the victor, and the dueling at an end. They turned to walk back toward the group awaiting them, when Lorien caught Marius out of the corner of her eye. She met his gaze steadily for a moment, and then purposefully placed her hand on Snape's arm and turned and walked away with him.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Harry left the spot where he had been standing with Draco and Beska and made his way through the dispersing gathering to where Sirius was.  
  
Beska turned to Draco when the duel was over, eyes narrowed slightly. "You knew she gave him back his wand, didn't you?"  
  
Draco smiled disarmingly at her and shrugged. "Yes."  
  
"And you still let me take that bet?" She asked, smiling back at him.  
  
"Of course. How else could I be sure to win?" He said.  
  
Beska shook her head and laughed. "Such a scoundrel you are, Draco." She tipped her head a little and regarded him carefully for a moment, and then turned to walk off. "I'll have your payment after dinner tonight," she said over her shoulder with a laugh.  
  
Draco watched her go, noticing the pleasant way her robes moved with her hips as she walked. "I certainly hope so," he said under his breath.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lorien's girlfriend were all in a gush about the romance factor of the whole duel, Perth was happy that no one had been severely injured as he spoke to Remus, and Sirius stood next to them with his arms folded across his chest, clearly disappointed that he hadn't gotten to see Snape get his ass kicked to nearly the extent that he thought it should have.  
  
Remus clapped him on the arm as he turned away from Taber. "Cheer up, Sirius."  
  
"Give me one good reason." He said, pretending to pout a little.  
  
"Dinner." Remus replied.  
  
"Dinner?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Yes. Perth says there's going to be a banquet," Remus answered. "So, you may not have gotten to see Snape get flattened, but you'll be wined and dined and surrounded by beautiful Nemorosi women," Remus said, making the last half of his comment loud enough for Althea, Rachel and Ilizabeth to hear. They all smiled at them sweetly.  
  
Sirius clearly brightened at the picture Remus was painting.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
The banquet was rather like a large family reunion, with Nemorosi that had come from all over to attend the council meeting, and then stayed for the duels sitting together at long tables that had been laid out under the open sky since the weather was fair. House elves bustled about efficiently.  
  
The group from Hogwarts had been invited to sit at the table with the head of the Council, and Perth and Lorien made the introductions for the rest to the woman that sat at the end of the table.  
  
Fagan LaRue was a woman of great age and great bearing that smiled easily, but met the gaze of each of the people she greeted with hazel eyes that still held great intensity in their depths. She turned those eyes to meet Snape's as Lorien finally introduced him to her.  
  
"Professor, so nice to finally meet you face to face," the woman said courteously. "I must congratulate you on a fine showing in both duels today."  
  
Snape nodded his head in acknowledgment of the older woman before he sat on her left, "Doci, Elixani Atora," he said politely, and met her eyes unblinking.  
  
Fagan LaRue laughed. "I can see now why you have been such a quick study."  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lorien sat next to Severus, and could hear Sirius beyond Remus to her right snort a little. She glanced in his direction as Snape continued to speak with LaRue and spoke to Remus quietly. "What's his problem?"  
  
Remus shrugged. "He's just being Sirius - he's irritated at Snape trying to impress the head of the council with few words in Nemorosi."  
  
Lorien grinned. "Well, tell my friend next to you that it's what he said, not how he said it, that impressed her."  
  
Remus thought it over for a minute, trying to recall the little that Lorien had taught him in their time together. "He said 'thank you....Potions mistress?" Remus looked puzzled. "She's a Potions mistress?"  
  
Lorien nodded and whispered. "Not just any Potions mistress - La Sorciere Rouge," she announced very softly.  
  
Remus's eye's went wide. "The Red Witch?" He asked incredulously. "I never knew."  
  
Harry leaned closer from across the table. "What did you say about the Red Witch?" He asked quietly, recalling something recently from History of Magic about her.  
  
"Evidently," said Remus, indicating the woman at the head of the table talking to Snape and Taber, "she's a Nemorosi."  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Dinner was excellent, and the conversation turned to the recent attack on Hogwarts.  
  
LaRue listened carefully to the recounted attack by the mangabeys unleashed through the tunnel by Voldemort's minions. She nodded. "Mangabey toxin can be tricky business, indeed. I'm surprised you had enough antidote on hand."  
  
Lorien spoke up. "We didn't, but Severus was able to make enough in time."  
  
"Really?" LaRue looked impressed again. "You knew the antidote was Culpeper's?"  
  
Snape shook his head. "Professor Lupin knew the specific antidote, thankfully." It killed him to admit it.  
  
"I see," she said, glancing at Lupin, who looked a bit uncomfortable. "So, then you were able to look up the formula and brew the potion...."  
  
Snape cut her off a bit. "I did not need to look it up," he said, a bit defensively.  
  
LaRue smiled, knowing the man's ego must have just been bruised, and she smoothed things over skillfully. "Ah, but that is a very old formula to have committed to memory, especially when it's needed so rarely. Was it 1650?" She asked, knowing it wasn't.  
  
"Fifty-three." Snape corrected her, apparently appeased at that point.  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes at Harry across the table, who stifled a snicker.  
  
"Pity the man didn't continue his work on antidotes," LaRue commented.  
  
Snape snorted in agreement. "Wasted an awful lot of time with that blasted love potion of his."  
  
"Yes," she said with a laugh, "but he perfected it, didn't he?"  
  
Snape shrugged and took a sip of wine. "Who would have thought to add gooseberry?"  
  
LaRue's expression darkened for just a moment and then it passed. "Who would have thought?" She agreed. She turned to Lupin again. "Now, tell me, Professor Lupin, do you find that the wolfsbane potion is everything that it's rumored to be?"  
  
Remus wasn't prepared for her question, but composed himself quickly. "Absolutely," he said softly. "Short of a cure, it's about the best thing I could ask for."  
  
LaRue nodded. "You'll have to forgive my curiosity. I haven't had the chance to explore the formulation myself, or to see it work."  
  
Remus smiled and then nodded at Snape. "Professor Snape brews the potion with the utmost skill. Perhaps he would be willing to show you."  
  
LaRue turned back to Snape, who was trying not to look annoyed at being volunteered. Trust Lupin to make it look like he was paying a compliment, and simultaneously create a lot of aggravation. He noted the way the older woman was looking at him. "It would be my pleasure to show you tomorrow if you wish, Elixani atora," he said graciously. He wished Lorien wasn't sitting next to him so he could have kicked Lupin under the table.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
As the conversations continued around the table, Draco found himself eventually bored with the discussions of potions, and mangabeys, and was extremely thankful that Beska, who had been sitting next to him listening with apparent interest, suddenly leaned closer. "Let's get out of here," she whispered.  
  
He turned surprised eyes to meet hers.  
  
"I'm going to fall asleep on my plate." She smiled at him, and they quickly excused themselves from the table.  
  
Beska led him along a wooded path at a casual pace. "I didn't know how much more of that I could stand," she said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"You appeared quite fascinated," Draco said dryly.  
  
"Yes, well it's always wise to err on the side of being polite with my grandmother. I should have known it was going to go bad in a hurry when she sat the Potions master next to her." Beska smiled.  
  
"Fagan LaRue is your...?" Draco asked, eyes widening.  
  
"Great-great-grandmother," Beska finished. "Yes."  
  
Draco gave a low whistle. "Well, I'd better watch my step then," he said, flirting with her.  
  
"What, you weren't going to watch your step before you knew?" She asked, teasing him back.  
  
Draco shrugged noncommittally and smiled.  
  
"I see," she said quietly with a smile. "Well, that brings me to the topic of payment for our wager."  
  
Draco frowned a little. He wasn't interested in the ten galleons, and he didn't want to jeopardize his chances with the dark haired beauty. "Beska, keep your money. The bet was just for fun anyway."  
  
She looked at him in an odd way and then laughed. "Who said I was going to give you the ten galleons? I believe you cheated."  
  
"Can I help it if I'm more observant?" He protested with a laugh.  
  
"You could have shared the information," she said, scolding him good- naturedly.  
  
"But then I wouldn't have the upper hand," he said wryly.  
  
"You still don't, Draco," she said softly. Beska quickly stepped closer, and before Draco knew what had happened, her lips met his briefly and then she was gone. 


	44. And a Roll

The tension is nearly palpable in the café of Borders as the two Hogwarts Professors face off against Voldemort, worried about their muggle friend who has gotten herself into quite a pickle by trusting the dark wizard to behave himself during the interview she set up. None of the patrons who remain have moved since the last one to scream found herself duct-taped to a chair.  
  
"So," begins Voldemort at last, speaking in an arrogantly casual manner, "it would appear as though you two gentlemen would like your friend the author back."  
  
"That we do," answers Remus steadily, his wand covering Voldemort as is Snape's nearby. His eyes flick past the dark wizard for a fraction of a second as the stealthy movement of the large black dog slinking closer to Nytd and Voldemort catches his attention. He realizes he has to stall for time.  
  
"It would be best if you handed her over quietly," he adds. He frowns a little at the laugh it provokes from the evil lord.  
  
"And what if I don't? I suppose YOU'RE the one who's going to do something about it?" Voldemort laughs again. "Or maybe you, Severus?" he asks, turning to face the other Slytherin. "Going to rescue the Lady Nytd yourself? And since when did chivalry become your forte?"  
  
Snape allows himself a small crooked smile, seeing what Voldemort does not as the bear-like dog gathers himself to spring. "It's not," he replies calmly. "It's really more..," he pauses as Padfoot launches himself into Voldemort, grabbing the wizard by the neck and bearing him to the ground. "..his," Snape finishes and springs himself to grab Nytd, whisking her away from the dark lord and pinning her against the rack of cookbooks just outside the café.  
  
A cheer goes up from the remaining muggles, and Remus rushes to hex Voldemort, who has turned his wand on the animagus, but everyone's attention is suddenly grabbed by the two dozen uniformed wizards rushing through the bookstore doors.  
  
"Damn!" Curses Voldemort, who knows that facing the three Hogwarts professors with backup from the two dozen wizards from the Bureau is probably more than he'd care to chance at this point.  
  
He glares at Lupin and Snape. "Just you wait, I'll have my revenge on ALL of you..." he looks pointedly at Nytd, "and your stupid dog, too!" he snarls.  
  
Voldemort disapparates out of Padfoot's grip, leaving the three wizards and Nytd to explain the entire mess to the wizard from the Bureau in charge as the bookstore patrons all receive a complimentary memory charm with their books and cappucino.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
And a Roll ~*~  
  
Lorien listened for a while longer, and then decided, like Draco and Beska, that she'd had enough of the conversations at hand. She was tired after the stress of the day, and although she didn't want to appear rude, she took the chance and excused herself from the table. She glanced back once at the table, pleased to see Severus engaged in pleasant conversation with the Potions mistress.  
  
There was a spot she knew of, not far from where the clearing was, that overlooked the ocean, and Lorien decided to take a short walk in order to try to relax a bit more. She set out along the path nearby.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Snape was listening to LaRue carefully, fascinated by the older woman's experience and knowledge. It was refreshing to be able to discuss his own discipline with someone as knowledgeable, but he still noticed when Lorien left the table and began debating how best to excuse himself as well, without offending the woman he was speaking with.  
  
LaRue glanced where she had seen Lorien enter the woods, and turned back to Snape. "Well, I could go on all night," she said, smiling. "It's always a pleasure to speak with someone who understands my appreciation of potion brewing, but I believe we can continue our discussion tomorrow?"  
  
She gave him a meaningful look and he gave her a small, grateful smile and rose. "Until tomorrow then, Elixani atora." He turned and went the way Lorien had.  
  
LaRue turned her attention back to the rest of the group, where the discussion was now about summoning spells, and the she listened with interest as Harry Potter asked Taber about how to call lightning.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lorien had reached the cliffs that rose up out of the water below, and stood looking out over the moonlit ocean, enjoying the slight sea breeze that tugged at her robes and cloak. It was still cool, but the air now held the first promise of spring around the corner. She reflected on the events of the day, and the fact that she was fortunate enough to have a bit of peaceful time with her friends, both Nemorosi and from Hogwarts. The breeze drifted by her again, and she suddenly became inspired to stir things up a bit more thanks to her good mood.  
  
She stood with her eyes closed for a moment, and summoned the winds, causing the air around her to stir a good deal more.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Snape had made it to the edge of the woods where they broke away to reveal the cliffs where Lorien now stood, and he was about to go to her when he heard her speak the command words. Curious, he leaned against a tree with his arms folded, and watched her strengthen the winds around her until her robes were rippling wildly and she began to laugh. He smiled to himself as he realized she was merely playing, and after a moment he spoke to her.  
  
"That's a bit childish, don't you think?"  
  
Lorien startled and spun around to face him as he uncrossed his arms and leaned off the tree. "What exactly are you doing?" He asked as he approached her.  
  
"A summoning spell," she answered quietly, and then she smiled. "I believe you're familiar with them?" She asked sweetly, knowing he probably had yet to forgive her for his encounter with her biting vine. The winds died down a little as she dropped her focus.  
  
"Hmph," was all he said. He came to stand near her and placed his hands on her shoulders as he looked out over the water for a quiet moment. She leaned against him, resting her head under his chin. "Call it again," he said at last.  
  
Lorien thought it a strange request, but refocused and the winds rose around them again a bit stronger. She would have strengthened them further, but at that moment his hands were at the back of her head, gently tugging the comb that held her hair up out of place. Her hair tumbled out of the intricate updo and onto her shoulders, and she closed her eyes as he ran his fingers through it and smoothed it out.  
  
"Better," he said softly, and he slid one arm around her waist as he moved her hair away from her neck. She felt his lips, cool from the night air, meet her skin there briefly.  
  
The wind around them grew stronger for an instant, and Snape raised an eyebrow as he pulled back a little. Interesting. He bent closer and kissed her neck again, and as Lorien focused more on what he was doing, he noted that the wind once again gathered strength for a moment. Very interesting.  
  
"Show me this spell," he whispered in her ear.  
  
She looked a little surprised. "You want to learn a summoning?"  
  
He frowned at her and adopted a tone of mock hurt. "What, perhaps you think Potter is the only apt pupil you have?"  
  
Lorien laughed, knowing that he wasn't really upset. He was obviously in a good mood if he were willing to joke about Harry. "All right," she agreed softly. "Together at first, alright?"  
  
He nodded and listened to her instructions, and then closed his eyes to concentrate as she wrapped her arms around his neck. It was only a moment before the breeze around them began to pick up as she focused her effort again, and then he felt her breath catch as he added his own effort. The winds now picked up considerably, and tugged repeatedly at their robes.  
  
Lorien laughed again, delighting in the gale that was rapidly increasing around them, and when she looked up, Severus was watching her closely. She saw his eyes narrow for the briefest moment, and she would have been blown back a step by the force of the wind he was calling if it weren't for the fact that he held her. "Do you want me to let go?" She asked softly, looking into the dark eyes.  
  
"No," he said quietly. "Never."  
  
Lorien felt a great rush of emotion at the utterance of that single word, and she tightened her embrace. "I meant the wind," she corrected him gently, as green robes tangled themselves in black while the wind swirled past.  
  
"Oh," he said distractedly, gaze now on her lips. He kissed her an instant later, and found that the combination of her nearness, and the force of the spell that they were weaving together elicited a heady rush of adrenaline, and he found himself kissing her more and more insistently. She responded in kind, a temptation too great for him to resist despite their location, and he pulled her to her knees with him on the cliffs as the wind raged fiercer than ever. She never resisted as he gently pushed her back onto the ground.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
* Harry was nervous about asking Perth Taber about the summoning spell, but when Snape left the table to go in search of Lorien, and the conversation dwindled for a moment, he saw his opportunity to bring the subject up and he turned to the man sitting next to him. "Excuse me, Sylvani ator," he began politely . Taber turned to look at him expectantly with a small smile, and Harry got the impression that the man already knew what he was about to ask. "Yes, Harry?"  
  
Harry smiled back nervously. "I was wondering...er...well..you know that Mistress Lorien has been teaching me the summoning spells..and I wondered.."  
  
"Yes?" Taber asked expectantly.  
  
"Well, I thought that...Lorien said that you might show me the summoning for lightning." Harry blurted it out at last.  
  
"She did, did she?" Taber shot an amused look at the Red Witch, who had taken an interest in the conversation.  
  
LaRue sighed. "Typical teenager, Perth." She glanced upward at the slight breeze that rustled the needles of a nearby fir tree.  
  
"That's a very tricky spell, Harry," Taber said, as he turned to focus his attention on the boy again. "It can be very dangerous."  
  
"I know," admitted Harry, glancing quickly at where Sirius had perked his ears up and now listened to the conversation. "That's what Lorien said. She wouldn't show it to me because she said that she didn't feel comfortable with her own ability, and she thought that maybe you might."  
  
"Show you or teach you?" Taber asked with a wry smile.  
  
"Both." Harry admitted.  
  
Sirius spoke up. "I think that might not be such a good idea," he said, stepping into the role of protective godfather.  
  
"But Sirius..." Harry protested.  
  
Taber held up a hand to quiet Harry. "Your godfather is right, Harry. It might not be wise for you to attempt it at this early stage." He absently retrieved the napkin that blew across the table as he spoke.  
  
Harry couldn't have looked more disappointed.  
  
"Harry," Sirius began, pausing long enough to grab his own napkin that was threatening to blow away, as did Remus. "There'll be time later..."  
  
"But, I'm ready now," Harry insisted, sounding frustrated. "I've learned so much." He glanced at the sprinkling of pine needles that was steadily raining down from the nearby tree as the strengthening wind shook them loose.  
  
Taber was sympathetic. "Harry, I know that you think you are, but believe me.." He grabbed the goblet in front of him that nearly tipped over with another sharp gust of wind.  
  
"Maybe you could at least show me?" Harry asked tentatively.  
  
Taber sighed, knowing that teenagers could be very persistent. "Harry, the weather conditions really aren't right," he said in a half-hearted attempt at a last dissuasion.  
  
"They might be in a minute," Remus observed as he and the others jumped to grab at more of the table settings that were being rocked by the small gale that was now winding itself up in the clearing.  
  
"Go on, Perth."  
  
Everyone looked at the Red Witch, who had spoken.  
  
She nodded in Harry's direction. "Show him."  
  
She waved her hand and banished the table settings that everyone was struggling with and smiled as a nearby branch fell loose from the tree that was creaking as it rocked in the wind. "It would appear that tonight is a good night for the teaching of new magic after all," she said with a laugh, speaking louder to be heard over the increasing gale. Occupants of the other tables were now abandoning their seats and leaving to take cover from the arriving storm.  
  
"Very well," said Taber, with a glance at Sirius. "You'll accompany us?"  
  
"You know it," Sirius said with a glance at Remus, who nodded. They were both just as curious as Harry now.  
  
Harry grinned at last, thrilled that he was going to get to see the summoning he so desperately wanted to learn.  
  
The four men rose to their feet, leaving LaRue behind, and headed out of the clearing.  
  
"Perth?" She called after them, as she stared at the table in front of her with a wry smile crossing her lips.  
  
"Yes?" He called back, as all four stood there with their cloaks billowing wildly in the raging wind.  
  
"Do stay away from the south cliffs," she said amusedly as another branch broke loose from the wind and crashed to the ground.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
If Perth thought LaRue's last comment was strange, he gave no indication of it and quickly led Harry, Remus and Sirius along a path that led out on to the north cliffs where they could see dark clouds out over the water rapidly being swept in by the fierce winds.  
  
Harry was excited, and walked along rapidly beside Taber asking questions. "Does there have to be a storm around in order to call lightning?"  
  
"No," replied Taber, "but it's much simpler if there's at least one in the area. I have seen one or two people summon lightning on a perfectly clear day, though."  
  
"Really?" Harry was amazed at the thought. "With no bad weather at all? You've seen someone actually do that?"  
  
Taber nodded, and saw the way that Harry was still looking expectantly at him. He smiled at the boy. "The Red Witch has been known to do such a thing now and again."  
  
Harry's eyes went wide and Perth laughed. "Make sure you mind your manners around her," he said.  
  
Harry nodded vigorously in agreement.  
  
The foursome reached the open flat rocky area at the top of the cliffs, and Taber gave a brief explanation of the summoning.  
  
"I'll answer any questions that you have afterwards. I want to show you this while the conditions are still right," Taber said, seeming the slightest bit amused. "I have a feeling, with the suddenness of this storm, that it'll be over fairly quickly." He chuckled a bit, knowing that the three other wizards had no idea about the storm's probable origin.  
  
"Now, the key is to be able to direct your focus on a distant spot." Taber said. "Calling the lightning is the simpler task - controlling the lightning is altogether more difficult."  
  
Harry, Remus and Sirius listened carefully as Perth pointed to a stony outcropping in the water a short distance off shore.  
  
"There. Keep your eyes on that rock." The older mage closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath and released it slowly.  
  
Harry felt his own pulse quicken as he watched the man in front of him, and he suddenly became aware of a prickly sensation on his skin and hair, like static electricity only stronger. He could see when his eyes met Sirius's, that his godfather was experiencing the same sensation, and he returned his gaze quickly to the rock in the water. A second later he heard Taber whisper the command word.  
  
"Fulminis." Taber uttered the word quietly, and suddenly the darkness all around them was shattered for an instant as a jagged fork jabbed downward out of the night sky.  
  
"Whoa!" Harry's mouth fell open as the group was plunged back into darkness. He turned wide eyes full of respect on Taber. An instant later, his hand snapped involuntarily to his forehead as pain seared through his scar.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
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Draco walked back along the path, trying to decide how he felt about what had just happened. It didn't seem right that such a little thing should bother him so much, but after Beska had kissed him and walked away, he found himself feeling guilty for what he'd been thinking earlier.  
  
Not only that, but he found himself thinking that he'd actually liked the fact that she'd kissed him. He chuckled to himself as he thought about it more. What would she think if she knew she'd just kissed the son of a Death Eater?  
  
Even funnier - what would his father think if he knew that a Malfoy had just been kissed by one of those ridiculous Nemorosi?  
  
Draco thought about the feel of her lips against his, and decided that perhaps they weren't all so ridiculous after all. Perhaps Snape was right about that.  
  
Perhaps Snape was right about a lot of things.  
  
Draco found himself questioning his feelings about what to do about his alignment for the hundredth time since the night of the party at Hogwarts. He knew his loyalty should be to his father, to his blood, but it made him more and more ill to consider what that would mean.  
  
Of course, siding with Dumbledore and those idiots at the Ministry didn't hold a great deal of appeal either, and Draco knew that he'd have to decide soon. At least he had until the end of the school year when he'd have to return home to decide which side of things he belonged on. Or so he thought.  
  
*  
  
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The last of the wind was dying down as Severus stood looking out from the cliffs and Lorien stood next to him attempting to smooth out her robes and hair. He smiled a little at her appearance, which was slightly more rumpled than it was twenty minutes ago. He reached for her and drew her to him. "Come here, my windblown witch," he said wryly.  
  
She leaned against him. "YOUR windblown witch?" She asked teasingly.  
  
"Yes," he said. "You are mine, aren't you?" He asked, looking intently into her eyes.  
  
"Yes," she replied softly, and then smiled. "You won me, remember?"  
  
He smiled back at her. "The wind in your hair suits you, Sylvanesti," he said tenderly, sliding his hand behind her head. She let him pull her in.  
  
"And what suits you, Severus?" She asked as he bent closer.  
  
"Being with you, my love." His lips just met hers when the voice spoke from nearby, interrupting the moment.  
  
"How very, very touching, Severus."  
  
Snape's blood ran cold as recognition of the icy voice came to him, and he whirled to face Lucius Malfoy.  
  
. 


	45. Lorien's Mistake

A/N: I decided to post a second chapter today, on May 25th, in honor of my one year anniversary of writing fanfiction. I now have posted five stories, and nearly 310,000 words.  
  
I spent last night in celebration at the Boston Pops concert, where John Williams had returned as guest conductor for the weekend. In addition to the more traditional program which included Mozart, they played selections by Williams from "Jane Eyre", "The Accidental Tourist", "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", and ended the evening with three selections from "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" !!!!!!  
  
I can't tell you all how neat it was to witness Mr. Williams conducting 'Fawkes the Phoenix' and 'Harry's Wondrous World'. If you have the soundtrack, then you know the pieces I mean.  
  
The encore was the 'Flying Theme' from "E.T." and "Stars and Stripes Forever."  
  
So is that cool or what? ;)  
  
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Lorien's Mistake ~*~  
  
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"Harry, are you all right?" Sirius asked, coming to stand near where the boy was looking a bit stunned.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," Harry replied, but then he looked at Sirius worriedly. "Something's wrong. I can feel it."  
  
Sirius knew enough to take it very seriously when Harry's scar hurt. He didn't know exactly what it meant, but he decided that the first thing he needed to do was to get Harry off the open cliffs and back to the security of the large gathering of Nemorosi .  
  
"Let's get back to the clearing," he said to Lupin and Taber, and the group started to head for the trees.  
  
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Malfoy stood there among a dozen Death Eaters, arms folded haughtily in front of him, watching as Snape flicked his wand into his hand the same instant he stepped in front of Lorien.  
  
"Ah, Severus. Romance AND chivalry? And here I never thought you the type for either." He unfolded his arms and sauntered slowly toward the pair trapped on the cliff. The group of Death Eaters moved closer as well.  
  
Snape backed up, keeping himself between Lorien and Malfoy, and wondering how the hell they'd been traced. It must have been Draco, he figured, and he cursed the boy mentally, and then himself for not being more cautious.  
  
"You don't look too happy to see me, old friend," Malfoy said, apparently amused at having surprised his former comrade. "But, then again, I'm interrupting something, aren't I?" He looked at Lorien in a way that Snape didn't like at all.  
  
Snape backed up one more step, and suddenly Lorien gasped and grabbed at him from behind. He heard the pebble go skittering over the edge and drop, and didn't need to ask to know that they'd reached their limit. His mind raced as Malfoy stepped closer.  
  
Lorien held onto Severus, experiencing a very unwanted feeling of deja vu as she backed to the edge of the precipice while they faced the Death Eaters.  
  
"Careful there, Severus. That might prove to be unhealthy for your lovely lady if she happens to slip," Malfoy said, feigning concern. "Of course," he continued with a wicked smile, "staying up here with me might not prove to be much healthier for her."  
  
Snape found that he heartily agreed, knowing full well what Malfoy was capable of. His mind lighted on the idea of shoving Lorien off the cliff behind them, knowing that she would be able to complete the transformation to the dragon well before she hit the waves. It would leave him alone facing the baker's dozen of Death Eaters before him, but at least she would be safe. His idea was abruptly quashed when Malfoy spoke again.  
  
"And don't even think of pulling that little dragon trick of yours, Sylvanesti." Malfoy purred dangerously, a wicked gleam in his eye as he took in the obvious distress in Lorien's expression. "I assure you the moment I see the first scale, that your dear, dear, Severus will suffer very..erm.....permanent consequences," he drawled with perverse amusement.  
  
Lorien glared back defiantly at the gloating blonde man before her while Snape's mind continued to search frantically for a way out of their predicament, but she abandoned her similar thoughts of transforming immediately.  
  
Malfoy strode a step closer and the smile faded from his lips. "I'll give you one chance, Severus," he said, speaking no longer with amusement. "The Master wants a word with you, and I intend to deliver you alive. He'll be rather disappointed if I have to kill you here on the spot, and we all know how he hates to be disappointed..." Malfoy trailed off, locking gazes with Snape.  
  
"IF you force me to disappoint Voldemort," he continued, eyes traveling past Snape to Lorien again, "I fear I shall find myself taking it out on your lovely companion." His cold gray eyes snapped back to meet Snape's black ones. "Now, be a good boy and give me your wand," he chided, causing a chuckle to rise from his companions behind him.  
  
Snape glanced quickly around at the press of Death Eaters and knew he had no choice. He flipped the wand over in his hand and offered it defeatedly to Malfoy, ignoring the small gasp from Lorien as she saw him give in.  
  
Malfoy stared at the wand in his hand and then a slow smile spread across his face. He had Snape right where he wanted him, and although he wanted nothing more than to exact his revenge personally for Snape sending him to Azkaban, delivering Snape to Voldemort would prove to be a highly satisfying second choice, he was sure. As for the Nemorosi witch....well, Voldemort had instructed Malfoy to 'dispose of her' as he saw fit. And oh, the ways he would see fit...... He snapped out of his momentary musings and quickly addressed the group of Death Eaters at his back.  
  
"I believe that we have a second guest that the Master has requested an audience with," he spoke. "Go and find Harry Potter and bring him to me here!"  
  
The group started to disperse when Malfoy spoke again, addressing two of the Death Eaters off to one side. "I assume that the two of you might care to assist me in keeping Severus amused until the others return with the boy?"  
  
Both of the Lestranges nodded and stepped forward as the others left, just as eager as Malfoy to exact any bit of revenge for being sent to Azkaban because of Snape's actions as a spy all those years ago.  
  
Snape kept his expression neutral as the pair of Death Eaters drew back their hoods, but he was less confident that the wrath of Voldemort would deter that particular pair from doing him in than it would Malfoy. He knew he and Lorien were in grave danger. If only there were some way he could at least spare her..... He spoke to stall for any precious moment he could get.  
  
"I suppose that you're tickled with yourself for pulling this off, Lucius," he said with obvious sarcasm. "How absolutely bold of you to use children to do your dirty work."  
  
Malfoy's brow lifted. "Children? Whatever are you going on about, Severus?"  
  
"Your son," Snape replied, fairly hissing the word.  
  
"Draco?" Malfoy asked, slightly perplexed for a moment, and then realization dawned and he smirked. "Oh, you think that I used Draco to trace you to these pathetic treehuggers? Oh, no, Severus." Malfoy laughed a wicked laugh. "My son proved himself ever so useful when I provided Hogwarts with all those poisonous....pets," he sneered, "but tracing you here was actually a courtesy of your lady friend."  
  
Lorien frowned at Malfoy's announcement, puzzled at how she could have been any help in him finding the Nemorosi gathering at all. She'd been overly cautious when she'd brought the group from Hogwarts here. It would have been nearly impossible to track them without a proper tracing charm, and she knew that you had to get quite close to someone in order to cast a tracing charm.  
  
Her mouth dropped open in sudden horror as she realized exactly who it was that had traced her.  
  
"That's right," Malfoy said, seeing the look on Lorien's face. "You never even suspected, did you? I knew that it would be nearly impossible to get anywhere close to Severus, but I also knew once I'd found out that my old friend had developed a weakness for a certain blonde witch, that the best way to get close to him was to get close to you," he said smugly.  
  
Lorien continued to look horrified as Severus looked at her with alarm, obviously trying to figure out what Malfoy was saying.  
  
"Tsk, tsk. And how clever do you feel now, Mistress Ravenclaw?" Malfoy asked. "You were even warned, weren't you?" he asked, obviously enjoying her distress as she realized her error.  
  
Lorien looked at Severus with tears in her eyes as she explained. "It was Narcissa," she said sadly. "The night she came after the mangabey attacks. She must have cast a tracing charm when she touched my arm and warned me about letting the wrong people get close to me."  
  
"Ah, still clever, if not a little slow." Malfoy commented, enjoying the brief look of anguish that Snape let cross his countenance before snapping the emotionless mask back in place.  
  
Lorien spoke in a hoarse whisper, unable to meet Snape's eyes. "I didn't know."  
  
Severus knew how terrible Lorien must feel, knowing that the Death Eaters had found the Nemorosi gathering, him, and possibly Harry Potter, all because of her. He would have known in less than a heartbeat not to let Narcissa ever get that close to him. He knew that she probably didn't even know who Narcissa was until it was too late, and that she was too naïve in the ways of Voldemort's minions to have even thought of the possibility. He dreaded thinking of the ways that she might pay for her lack of insight.  
  
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Sirius had grabbed Harry by the arm and with Remus and Taber flanking them, ushered the boy quickly back the way they had come. He worried about the boy's scar hurting - it could only mean one thing.  
  
Voldemort.  
  
"Well, if Voldemort's after Harry, he's was going to have to get by me first." Sirius announced quietly through gritted teeth to Remus, as he glanced at his best friend walking quickly alongside them.  
  
"And me, Padfoot," Remus replied softly as he glanced warily around them as they approached the clearing.  
  
"Me as well." Taber added, looking grim. "And I would dare say the Red Witch," he added as Fagan LaRue appeared and hastened toward them.  
  
Sirius smiled grimly to himself, knowing that even for Voldemort, the foursome would prove to be a difficult obstacle, and of course, from what he'd heard and seen, Harry was not exactly helpless in the face of a threat from the Dark Lord either.  
  
Fagan LaRue spoke as she quickly neared. "I fear you are headed toward danger," she said hurriedly. "There are Death Eaters on the island. The Nemorosi are dispersing as rapidly as they can." She looked at Sirius. "This is because of Harry?"  
  
Sirius nodded, waiting for the woman's reaction.  
  
"I suspected as much," she said, great concern evident in her eyes. "Perth, take them back toward the South cliffs. From there will be the best vantage point and they can find a portkey back to the mainland. Be careful, all of you. Doth artou." The woman passed them quickly, walking with greater energy than one would expect from such an old witch, and headed back toward the threat facing her fellow Nemorosi.  
  
Taber wasted no time in heading for the cliffs, quickly followed by Harry who was flanked protectively on either side by Sirius and Remus.  
  
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Draco continued to walk back toward the clearing, still lost in his thoughts about the decision that he would have to make by the end of the year, when his deliberation was interrupted by shouting up ahead. People were crying out and it sounded like there was a lot of commotion. Puzzled by what he heard, he quickened his pace toward the sounds.  
  
When he broke through the trees into the clearing, chaos stood before him. People were rushing around in a panicked fashion; women were gathering up children, groups of people were heading for disapparating points, and after a moment of looking around the reason for the panic became clear to Draco.  
  
Death Eaters.  
  
"Well, well, well." Draco said aloud to no one in particular. He walked calmly into the midst of the uproar, unconcerned about the presence of the Dark Lord's minions, and unheeding of the warnings shouted to him by distraught men and women rushing by, trying to avoid the large number of Death Eaters swarming the area and attacking the fleeing Nemorosi savagely.  
  
'Stupid wandless gits.' Draco thought to himself, watching a small group of wizards trying to make a stand against a larger group of Death Eaters to buy time for a larger group of women and children to escape. "Poor bastards," he thought aloud, and turned away to decide what he ought to do at this point.  
  
He came face to face with a tall Death Eater pointing a wand at him.  
  
Draco frowned as he heard the man begin the spell and put his hands on his hips. "I WOULDN'T," he said arrogantly.  
  
The menacing figure stared back and then stopped abruptly, as he recognized the son of Lucius Malfoy. "What on earth? Draco, what are ..?"  
  
"That would be none of your business," Draco drawled, looking around him. "My father is here?" He asked expectantly.  
  
"Yes." The hood dropped and Draco was facing a man who's name he knew was Heath Bolduc. "He's with the group that's cornered Snape on the cliffs," the man replied, indicating the direction of the south cliffs.  
  
"Huh." Was all Draco said as the man continued on his way.  
  
So, his father was getting his chance for revenge against Severus Snape for being sent to Azkaban. Well, the man would get what he deserved for messing with a Malfoy, now wouldn't he? That would be something to see. He decided to head for the cliffs.  
  
Draco felt smug at first at the thought of his father having the last laugh, and then irritatedly realized that he really didn't find the thought all that amusing. As a matter of fact, he realized that the thought no longer appealed to him as much as he expected it to. True, Snape may have sent his father to prison, but who was to say that the elder Malfoy didn't deserve it? He more than likely did.  
  
Draco realized as he stood there that he no longer considered an attack against his father as a personal one. No, Snape had never done anything to him personally, so what did he care about revenge? Draco changed his mind and turned around..and stopped.  
  
Snape had never done anything to him personally.  
  
In fact, although the Slytherin professor was a difficult task master, and even harsh at times, he'd always done what he could to cultivate Draco's talents. He was also quite likely the reason that Draco hadn't been expelled from Hogwarts. Draco was now uncomfortable with the fact that he felt empathy for the former Death Eater.  
  
He tried to shake the feeling off. He didn't like the confused thoughts he was having. Besides, hadn't Snape sentence him to nearly a month of preparing potions in every single second of his spare time? He shuddered to think of the barrel of crabs. Hadn't Snape sentence him to nearly a month of detention with Filch, and with that damned idiot, Hagrid?  
  
Hadn't he deserved much worse?  
  
Draco realized that when he'd been left as the scapegoat for the whole mangabey invasion, and even his own flesh and blood had left him to deal with the consequences, only Snape was there to defend him in any way, shape or form. He actually was indebted to Snape, wasn't he? He knew it would be easy to shrug off the whole thing as none of his concern, but the fact was, like it or not, he was...concerned.  
  
Damn!  
  
Draco stood there as the confusion raged on around him debating what he could possibly do at this point. Probably nothing. It was probably too late. Even if it wasn't, his father would probably have his hide for even thinking about interfering, Snape would probably be doomed anyway, and that blonde witch of his would probably be tossed to the Death Eaters as a plaything. No, there was probably nothing he could do.  
  
But would he feel better about himself for trying?  
  
Probably.  
  
Draco turned once again and started to run for the cliffs. He ran past Nemorosi running in the opposite direction, and small battles that had broken out here and there. He ran onward, intent on paying back a debt that he felt he owed, past a witch that was screaming at being pinned against a tree by a Death Eater, skidding to a halt when he realized that the witch he had seen was Beska.  
  
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Harry hurried back up one of the paths toward the top of the cliffs with the Nemorosi, his godfather and Remus. He knew that they were going to try to get off the island as soon as they could, but suddenly realized that might mean they were leaving without the rest of the group.  
  
"What about the others?" he asked Sirius quietly.  
  
"What?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Lorien." Harry replied. "And Snape.....and Malfoy."  
  
Sirius's expression remained sober, but he smiled inwardly. The boy was so much like his father. Even with the threat of great danger nearby, the boy was concerned about the safety of others - even those he didn't particularly get along with. James would be proud of his son.  
  
"They'll be fine," Sirius replied, hurrying Harry even more up the hill. He wanted to get the boy off the island. "Draco is probably not in any danger, and Snape can take care of himself."  
  
"What about...." Harry gasped and slapped his hand to his forehead again, stopping dead in his tracks. He'd been about to say 'Lorien' when the group halted to see if he was alright, but never had the chance as ten Death Eaters appeared at the top of the path ahead of them.  
  
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Draco skidded to a halt, now realizing he was torn between feelings of allegiance to two people he never ever expected to feel any loyalty whatsoever to.  
  
He knew he had to make a decision quickly. There was probably little he could do to help Snape, and if he left, Beska would be history. Did he have a better chance at helping Beska?  
  
Definitely.  
  
Draco strode purposefully up to the man that had just slammed Beska up against the tree again and stood behind him and folded his arms across his chest.  
  
"Ahem." Draco cleared his throat loudly as he noted exactly where his wand was up his sleeve. (A handy little trick that many of the better Slytherin duelists had copied from their head of house.)  
  
The Death Eater spun part way around, not relinquishing his hold on the girl, and pointed his wand at Draco.  
  
Beska screamed. "Draco, no! Look out!"  
  
Almost instantly the Death Eater lowered his wand and then his hood. Walden McNair stood facing Draco and chuckled. "Well, young Malfoy, what is it you want?"  
  
Beska's dark eyes went even wider as she recognized the significance of the name the man called Draco.  
  
Draco spoke nonchalantly. "The girl." He jerked his head toward Beska.  
  
"What?" McNair asked, not sure that he'd heard the boy correctly.  
  
"You heard me." Draco said arrogantly. "I said I want the girl. Father said I could have which ever one I wanted." He looked Beska over in a way that she definitely didn't like.  
  
McNair looked from Draco to the girl and back, reluctant to give up his toy.  
  
"Surely you don't want to PISS OFF my FATHER?" Draco said loudly.  
  
McNair definitely didn't. He gritted his teeth unhappily and took a step back, releasing the young witch.  
  
Draco stepped careless past the Death Eater, ignoring him, and leaned one hand against the tree next to Beska's head. He stared into the scared cocoa eyes as he adopted a haughty manner and spoke, his face inches from hers. "Well, hello again, pretty witch."  
  
He saw Beska flinch when he flicked his wand into his hand, his back turned to the still hovering McNair. "Don't you and I have a debt to settle?" He asked with a wicked smile.  
  
Beska was sure that things had gone from very, very, bad to even worse when she realized that her new captor was the son of Lucius Malfoy, and then she suddenly became puzzled when the young blonde wizard winked at her. She remained leaning against the tree, still puzzled for about four or five seconds after McNair hit the ground where Draco had whirled and hexed him into a state of babbling stupor.  
  
"Well?" Draco was smiling at her and looking expectant. He saw her look once more at the incoherent man on the ground, and then back at him, still confused. He was about to inform her that he thought another kiss was in order when it suddenly dawned on the Nemorosi witch what had happened, and she flung her arms around his neck, clinging to him gratefully. He was about to make a flirtatious wisecrack about how she now owed another debt to him when he realized the girl clinging to him was shaking.  
  
Merlin's beard! She'd been scared! Truly scared. Draco realized that while he'd had the advantage of being the younger Malfoy, and therefore being under no threat from the invading Death Eaters, Beska had had no such luxury and had truly been in danger. And she knew it.  
  
Draco stood there motionless and clueless as to how to handle the now sobbing girl that hung on him. No brilliant ideas came to mind, and all he could think to do was to put his own arms around her. Evidently that had been the right thing to do, and after a few moments he could tell she was no longer shaking, and her crying had nearly stopped.  
  
Cool.  
  
Draco was pleased with himself for finding the way to handle the upset female so quickly and was feeling a bit smug as she released her hold on him. "Better?" He asked, thinking that hadn't been all that difficult. Maybe women weren't as hard to deal with as the older wizards always went on about.  
  
"Yes," she said softly, straightening out her robes and remnants of dignity.  
  
"Good," he said, thoughts turning back to another kiss from her again. It wasn't what he got as she quickly stepped closer again.  
  
He stood there with his hand against his smarting cheek as he realized that Beska had suddenly slapped him.  
  
"What was THAT for?" he demanded, surprised and angry.  
  
"That, was for not telling me you were a Malfoy before!" Beska replied sternly, hands on hips.  
  
"It never came up," Draco began in his defense.  
  
"Don't give me that! Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded.  
  
"I didn't think you'd care to associate with me if I told you," Draco spat.  
  
"Maybe or maybe not, but you didn't let me have the chance to decide for myself once I knew, did you?" Beska continued in a lecturing tone.  
  
Draco shrugged, irritated with the girl in front of him. They stood there for a moment in frustrated silence.  
  
"You could have told me, Draco," Beska said at last. "It wouldn't have changed anything."  
  
"What are you talking about?" He asked, still slightly irritated.  
  
"I would still like you," she said simply.  
  
"You would? I mean....you do?" He asked.  
  
She shrugged and then nodded. "I guess Lorien isn't the only one to fall for that sly Slytherin charm," she said, back to teasing him at last.  
  
"Really?" Draco started to feel a bit pleased with himself again, and then hit himself in the head as her comment sharply reminded him of the danger that Snape was probably in. "Oh, bloody hell! Come on!"  
  
"Draco! Where.....?"  
  
"I'll explain as we go!" He grabbed her arm and ran towards the cliffs. 


	46. A Summoning and an Arrival

A/N: I have give the Lestranges somewhat French names. Real is pronounced re-al, and yes, I do actually know someone with this as a middle name.  
  
Speaking of the Lestranges - if you have time at all, you simply must go and check out the fic getting under way by Neuri, called 'Phi'. It's a Lupin fic, and is refreshingly well-written. Evidently in year four, Beauxbatons has to deal with a particularly bright, but troublesome student and seeks out a private tutor for her. The characters, even very early in the story, are colorful and intriguing. It looks like it's gonna be a heck of a ride.  
  
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A Summoning and an Arrival ~*~  
  
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Harry and the three wizards around him stared at the ten Death Eaters that were staring back at them in the same surprised way for a second or two, and then everyone reacted at once.  
  
Harry was probably one of very few people alive that had ever faced a group of Death Eaters this large and lived to tell the tale, but despite the fact that a chilling deja vu swept over him, he quickly drew his wand and readied himself for a fight.  
  
As courageous as his Gryffindor godson might be, Sirius had no intentions of letting the Death Eaters get anywhere near Harry, and he grabbed the boy by the arm, shoving him back at Remus, yelling "Get him out of here!" He spun and pointed his wand in the direction of the Death Eaters, charging up the hill like a madman, hexing three Death Eaters in rapid succession. The remainder dove for cover.  
  
Remus had known Sirius for so long that he knew there was no discussion to be had, and would have taken Harry and guarded him with his life along the way, but the appearance of another pair of Death Eaters on the path behind them quickly limited their options. "Damn." He swore under his breath.  
  
"I'm not going!" Harry protested. "I'm staying here with you and Sirius to fight!" He and Remus cringed and ducked as Perth fired a hex past their heads at the pair of Death Eaters.  
  
Remus nodded once. "No time to argue, then." He got off a spell into the larger group of Death Eaters to give Sirius some cover. He called to the Nemorosi wizard. "Perth? Would you?"  
  
Taber nodded, understanding what the Defense professor had in mind, and then the large roan hippogriff stood in his place.  
  
Harry was pleased that Remus didn't lecture him and treat him like a child. He was going to stand here and fight alongside the two older Gryffindors just like his father would have if he was alive. Harry gripped his wand determinedly as he braced himself for the onslaught, and then he caught the last bit of the words Lupin had been uttering next to him.  
  
".leviosa!" Remus finished. Harry found himself abruptly lifted, and before he could utter a word of protest, placed firmly on the back of the hippogriff that was already lifting off the ground with great sweeps of its huge wings.  
  
Harry was forced to hang on as the large animal launched itself into the air, and angrily realized that the choice about staying or going had been yanked right out from under him. Each downward sweep of the great wings brought him higher into the air, and he thought with frustration how very like Remus it was to do what he did. No argument, no discussion, just a calm, quick decision, and Harry was out of the picture, like it or not.  
  
Harry risked a look down, but only caught a momentary glance of the two Gryffindors left facing the group of Death Eaters before Taber ducked suddenly to one side and rolled quickly to the other to avoid the hexes being flung in their direction. He quickened their pace, and it was only a moment before Harry found himself being borne out over the cliffs, over the ocean, and out of view of the battle behind him.  
  
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Even as Sirius sighed with relief at the fact that Harry was out of danger, it dawned on him just how many of the enemy he was facing about the same time that the scattered Death Eaters realized there was only one of him. Seven to one were not the kind of odds he favored, and he spun around quickly and thundered back down the hill even as the emboldened dark wizards regrouped.  
  
He hadn't gotten far before he came face to face with Remus, skidding to a halt. "I've got seven!" He yelled to his friend, indicating the charging group over his shoulder and turning to face them.  
  
"Well, you've outdone me, Padfoot," Remus replied, even as he turned and slammed his back up against Sirius's. "I've only brought two guests to this little party."  
  
"You know Moony, it's like I always used to tell you. You'd be more popular if you just weren't so shy," Sirius quipped.  
  
"I know, I know," Remus replied, out of breath and eyeing the group of nine now circling them. "We're in pretty deep, you realize."  
  
Sirius shrugged behind him. "Nine to two? Come on, Moony. We've been in trouble with bigger groups of Slytherins than that. Remember that party we crashed after that rainy Quidditch match? Weren't there like thirteen or fourteen?" He tensed and readied himself.  
  
"Yes, but there were four of us that time," Remus replied, tightening his grip on his wand. "But that does remind me..."  
  
"What's that?" Sirius asked quietly.  
  
Remus chuckled. "This is just like all the other parties the Slytherins have. Too many goons and not enough women, "he said and then was silent for a moment. "This doesn't look good," he added quietly.  
  
"Nah, it's all good, Moony." Sirius replied from behind him. "No matter what happens, it'll be you and me together."  
  
"You and me, Padfoot." Remus replied softly, and they raised their wands even as they watched the nine Death Eaters raise theirs.  
  
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Lucius Malfoy was pleased with himself, to say the least, as he stood still gloating in front of Snape and the blonde witch trapped between the Lestranges and the edge of the cliff.  
  
Snape knew well how dangerous the man could be, but he kept his attention focused on the Lestranges as the couple moved to stand on either side of Lorien and himself. He saw that Lorien didn't even respond when the woman in Death Eater robes grabbed her by the arm. She was too upset at discovering that her own ignorance had led them to him...and the Nemorosi...and Harry...  
  
Simone Lestrange smiled a wicked smile at Lorien's distress. "Oh, come now," she began in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Don't be so hard on yourself," she said as she pointed her wand at Lorien. "I promise you'll pay dearly for your stupidity. That ought to alleviate a bit of your guilt, don't you think?" She uttered a command word and Lorien found herself flung brutally to the ground.  
  
Snape took a reflexive step toward the woman in the dirt at his feet, but a hand on his arm halted him where he stood. Real Lestrange shook his head and tutted. "I wouldn't," he said, twirling his wand through the fingers of his free hand, "if you know what's good for her." He smiled a wicked, knowing smile, obviously enjoying seeing the distress starting to show on Snape's face.  
  
A cry came from Lorien on the ground where she had started to pick herself up as Simone uttered yet another command word, and the Nemorosi healer was slammed face first back into the dirt. She tried to rise a second time, only to find herself thrown down yet again as the dark witch began to laugh.  
  
Snape knew they were merely toying with Lorien at this point, and that things were likely to get a whole lot worse. None of the Death Eaters he knew, including even Malfoy was as ruthless as either of the Lestranges. He struggled to decide what the best course of action was in such a desperate situation, but it tore at him to see Lorien at the feet of the three Death Eaters, mostly because he knew the worst was ahead. She had obviously given up in despair over what had happened because of her naiveté.  
  
He was on the verge of panic as he watched his beloved Ravenclaw finally beginning to sob on the ground, and then it hit him. Could it be? Lorien might very well be pulling the same stunt she had used to put him off his guard during the duel! Was she? He'd bet anything that she was. The panicked feeling began to subside just a little, and he spoke to Lorien with concern in his voice for the benefit of their captors.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked, hoping she would give him some indication of what she had in mind.  
  
Lorien nodded weakly but didn't look up as she continued to cry defeatedly. "I'm sorry, Severus," she sobbed. "I'm sorry I ever... summoned you to this damn island," she said through her tears.  
  
Snape maintained his expression of concern but smiled inwardly. To think that he had almost lost faith in her. Surely he should have know better than to think she'd gone to pieces that easily. She was obviously up to something down there on the ground, and he wondered what he could do to help her unarmed.  
  
Wait.  
  
Not unarmed...merely without a wand.  
  
Snape nearly hit himself in the head as he realized that he wasn't as defenseless as he first thought. "It's alright. I understand," he said in what he hoped was a tone that passed for comforting as he began to feel more hopeful about their circumstances.  
  
"How marvelous of you to be so forgiving," Malfoy sneered, regaining Snape's attention. "Please forgive me, as well, for being insensitive, but I really must insist that you two lovebirds say your good-byes. I'm sure that the Master is very eager to welcome you back, Severus, and I'm sure that my two friends here are anxious to assist your witch in her understanding of why it doesn't pay to oppose Voldemort. Hopefully she'll forgive you as readily for what she's about to go through because of YOUR traitorous actions," he finished almost cheerfully.  
  
Snape met Malfoy's gaze steadily. "She'll forgive me," he said. "I have the utmost faith in her," he added, mostly for Lorien's benefit. He wanted her to understand that he knew what she was up to as he heard her sobs subsiding on the ground. "I'm sure that it won't be an issue in our future," he said with a touch of smugness.  
  
Lestrange laughed beside him. "Future? Why, I'm afraid your future is severely limited, Snape."  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure," Snape replied evenly.  
  
Malfoy was amused as well. "Look at you, acting so cool while you stand there unarmed." He held up Snape's own wand along with his own. "You've obviously lost your grip on reality, Severus," he snorted.  
  
Snape gave him the smallest crooked smile. "And that is where you are mistaken twice, Lucius." He was trying to buy crucial seconds.  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. So, you haven't lost your grip, but I do have your wand, old boy."  
  
Snape risked a glance at Lorien in time to see her placing both hands, palm down on the ground and uttering a word under her breath, and looked back at Malfoy. "Still wrong," he said and then added sarcastically, "old boy."  
  
The next thing Malfoy knew, Snape had gestured in his direction and spoke a single word, invoking a brutal version of the wandless nauseating vertigo spell taught to him by Taber. Malfoy doubled over, eyes wide with surprise, and then crashed to the ground as he began retching violently.  
  
Real Lestrange reacted quickly and pointed his wand at Snape, but the unforgivable curse never met it's intended target as Snape grabbed the man's hand with both of his own and pointed the wand skyward. A passing seagull met it's demise and plummeted to the ground nearby as the two men fought for control of the wand.  
  
Lorien chose that moment to scamper quickly to her feet as Simone Lestrange realized that things were getting out of control and pointed her wand. A chunk of earth exploded where Lorien had just been. She fired again at the blonde witch and Lorien just barely managed to block the next hex.  
  
"Think you're pretty clever, don't you?" Simone spat at Lorien. "Well, let's see how you deal with this!" She pointed the wand and invoked the curse. "Cruci...."  
  
The Death Eater never finished her hex, but gave a cry of surprise, followed quickly by a cry of pain, and then another. Nearby the nauseated and miserable Malfoy started yelping between heaves on the ground, and Lorien smiled to herself briefly as she watched the large wave of firebeetles she had summoned swarming over the two Death Eaters and stinging them ferociously.  
  
A small victory, but she quickly turned her attention to where Snape and Lestrange were engaged in a struggle near the edge of the cliffs for control of the wand. She debated briefly about trying a spell, but the two men were too close together, and she knew she'd run too great a risk of hitting Severus. This called for something more direct, and it was only a moment before the blue-green dragon had sprung into the air to defend her wizard.  
  
Snape heard the wingbeats of the dragon behind him, and he let go of the wand instantly, causing Lestrange to fall back a step as he no longer pulled against any resistance. The man pointed the wand at Snape, intent on hexing him into oblivion until the next instant in which the shadow of the dragon fell across him in the moonlight. He only had a chance to utter the first syllable of the Killing Curse as the blast of dragon fire hit him dead on.  
  
"Av...arghhhhhhhh!!!!"  
  
The Death Eater screamed, robes on fire as he waved his arms frantically, trying to escape the conflagration. He backpedaled, trying to pull the robes off as he went, but in his panic he took one step too many, and his screams quickly faded in intensity as he plummeted off the edge of the cliff.  
  
The dragon landed next to Snape and both of them watched the flaming figure fall the remaining distance to plunge into the dark, icy waves below.  
  
"Fire's out." Snape observed dryly before his attention was captured by the repeated cries behind him. Lestrange was screaming as she was stung again and again, her face and arms swelling to twice their normal size, oblivious to her husband's fate.  
  
Malfoy rolled frantically in a pool of his own vomit, gagging and trying with little success to fight off the vicious insects as they swarmed over him.  
  
Snape turned to look momentarily into the golden eyes now watching him. He caught up the delicately scaled head with one hand under her jaw. "Doci, paramicaan," he said, thanking her, and then he planted a kiss on the blue- green snout.  
  
"Shall we?" he asked as the dragon blinked at him.  
  
A small 'pop', and Lorien stood before him, nodding. "We have to find the others," she said, ignoring the desperately struggling Death Eaters and walking past Snape. "They're still after Harry."  
  
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Harry was furious and frustrated that he had been sent away from the battle below, placed on the back of the hippogriff by Remus as easily as one lifts a toddler and places him on the back of a pony for a ride.  
  
"It's not fair!" He protested, provoking a glance from the winged beast over it's shoulder. "I should be back there fighting with them!"  
  
A snort from the hippogriff.  
  
"That's easy for you to say," Harry said tersely. "You didn't just leave two of the most important people in your life back there facing all those Death Eaters."  
  
A brief questioning glance from the 'griff again.  
  
"Oh, get off it!" Harry protested. "I know that you're supposed to take me safely away, but I can take care of myself!"  
  
Another snort cut him off.  
  
"They're OUTNUMBERED!" Harry cried. "They're going to be killed! We need to go and help them!"  
  
A stern, meaningful look this time.  
  
Harry frowned. Taber wasn't buying into his arguments. Sirius and Remus were in real trouble, and there wasn't anything he could do. Fear for his friends and frustration welled up inside him even as tears of anger welled up in his eyes. He blinked them back furiously and wished more than anything that the damn hippogriff would take him back.  
  
Harry was startled by a sharp crack and the cry from the animal beneath him as the wings jerked reflexively back. They dropped twenty feet or so before the 'griff spread his wings again and thrust them powerfully downward to catch their fall.  
  
Both boy and beast looked at each other with surprise as they realized what had happened.  
  
In his anger and desperation, Harry had unknowingly invoked magic that he had yet to completely understand, and Taber, as the source of his frustration, took the brunt of the unspoken spell.  
  
"I'm afraid that was me," Harry said quietly, closing his eyes. "I'm..sorry. I know you're just trying to do what Remus asked," he said. "I can't always help it," he added in barely more than a whisper.  
  
The hippogriff stopped its forward motion, regarding him carefully as each wingbeat caused them to rise and sink rhythmically in place. It appeared to be thinking things over.  
  
Harry opened his eyes as he felt the wizard's hesitation. "We could help them," was all he said.  
  
Another moment's pause, and then the hippogriff sighed heavily and dropped its left wing and banked. It was turning around.  
  
"Yes!" Harry slapped the animal's shoulder unthinkingly in his relief that they were going back, eliciting another sharp snort. He tightened his grip as the 'griff accelerated and closed back in on the cliffs.  
  
When they headed for a spot on the cliffs a short ways up the path from where they had left Sirius and Remus, Harry understood Taber's intentions at once. They were better off surprising the Death Eaters by coming up behind them on the path rather than flying down in full view.  
  
Harry was leaping off the back of the hippogriff while the animal's hooves were still a foot or two from the ground, and he drew his wand as he headed quickly for the path, followed by the 'griff. If only Remus and Sirius had managed to hold out...he knew it was long odds, but he also knew that there were few pairs of wizards that Death Eaters would probably rather face less than the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and the infamous Sirius Black.  
  
Taber didn't bother to land, opting instead to follow closely behind Harry in hippogriff form, flying close to the ground so that hoof beats wouldn't be heard as they approached.  
  
Many animated voices could be heard coming from around the next bend in the path, and Harry realized that this was a good sign as the Death Eaters would likely make a lot less noise were Sirius and Remus captured or dead. He quickened his pace, wanting to get to them as soon as possible, but pulled up to a sudden stop as he spotted a lone Death Eater just ahead of him walking unhurriedly down the path.  
  
He stood completely still for a moment, and when the figure ahead of him didn't turn, he was sure that he hadn't been discovered. He moved as silently as he could, knowing he had the Nemorosi wizard as his backup, and tried to get close enough to catch the Death Eater off guard.  
  
Harry closed the distance between himself and the hooded figure considerably before he realized he hadn't planned which spell to actually use against the Death Eater. Kicking himself mentally, he slowed up momentarily to debate about the best hex to use.  
  
He never got the chance to decide.  
  
Harry's thoughts were instantly jarred as searing pain ripped across his forehead, and stopped in his tracks as his hand went reflexively to his head.  
  
Taber saw Harry stop and gasp, and he would have landed and gone to the teenager, but at that moment he saw the figure they'd closed in on turn its hooded head in their direction, and he dove at the Death Eater, intent on getting to him before he could realize who Harry was.  
  
Harry realized a second too late what Taber was doing, and wasn't able to say anything before the hooded figure calmly raised its wand and blasted the hippogriff out of the air.  
  
The animagus was blown over backwards, and when he hit the ground he was sprawled on the dirt at Harry's feet, dressed in green robes instead of feathers and fur.  
  
It was a vicious blow, even for a seasoned Nemorosi wizard, and Perth Taber sat up, shaking his head and then struggling to his feet. He was rattled, but he quickly faced the approaching figure.  
  
"Harry!" he said urgently. "Go! I'll deal with the Death Eater!" He readied himself for another attack.  
  
Harry didn't move, and Taber barked orders at Harry again. "GO! Quickly!"  
  
The robed figure was drawing closer and still Harry didn't move. Taber risked a glance in the boy's direction and found a very pale and wide-eyed Harry gripping his wand tightly and staring down the path.  
  
"Dammit, boy! Move!"  
  
When Harry showed no sign of budging, Taber stepped between the young wizard and the Death Eater, who was very close now.  
  
Harry finally spoke up, giving warning in a strangled whisper. "That's no Death Eater," he croaked.  
  
The black-robed figure had stopped several yards away and it finally spoke. "Indeed, young Harry is right," said the high, cold voice as the hood was drawn back, revealing the pale, nightmare visage of Lord Voldemort beneath. 


	47. A Hippogryff and a Gryffindor

Liltigger - thanks for the review. Hope you enjoy the last few chapters.  
  
Mina - thanks and welcome!  
  
A/N: Sorry about the delay. FFnet wouldn't let me upload anything for about a week now, and now my formatting is funky again. Oh well. Here's the chappie!  
  
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A Hippogryff and a Gryffindor ~*~  
  
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As Draco and Beska ran up the path toward the cliffs, Draco gave her the Wizard's Digest version of what was happening.  
  
"All I know is Snape is stuck at the top of the cliffs, held by my father and a group of Death Eaters," he said.  
  
"Draco, that's terrible! He and Lorien must be in great danger," Beska replied as they hurried.  
  
"Let's hope so," Draco panted as ran next to her.  
  
"Why do you say that?" Beska asked. She pointed to a side path and indicated they should take it. "Shortcut," she said.  
  
"Because," Draco replied, trotting down the new path with her, "if they aren't still in danger it's probably because they're..well..dead."  
  
"Oh." Beska said nothing else, but they both began to run a little faster. They rounded a corner in the path and skidded to a halt as they nearly ran into the back of a group of Death Eaters.  
  
*  
  
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Snape ran down the path that Lorien had indicated would be a quicker one to the bottom of the cliffs, and the pair by-passed the very path that Perth and Harry had taken but a moment before.  
  
"We have to find Harry," Lorien said as they ran.  
  
Severus agreed, but mentally rolled his eyes. 'We have to find Harry, Harry's in trouble.' When was that boy not in trouble? Dammit! And it was big-time trouble as usual. Any idiot would have determined that, even if they didn't have the assistance of a searing Dark Mark on their left forearm.  
  
"Lorien," he called, causing her to look his way. "We should split up."  
  
"What?" Lorien slowed up a bit, puzzled at his suggestion. "Don't you think we'd be better off staying.." She trailed off as she saw Severus merely point skyward, and she took his meaning as he ran past her.  
  
It took her a moment to get her dragon form airborne, and she climbed thirty feet in the air to get a better vantage point. She caught up to Snape just as he rounded a corner of the path and skidded to a halt. From her view in the air, the turquoise dragon could see he had nearly run up against a group of Death Eaters, and with a quick glance at the scene below her, she reacted quickly, and folding her wings, plummeted down in a fiery swandive.  
  
*  
  
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Silence filled the small clearing for just a moment as the large group of wizards crowded slightly closer around the two trapped Gryffindors.  
  
Sirius pressed his back tighter up against Remus behind him as he raised his wand and tensed up. Remus, behind him, likewise raised his wand, knowing their chances of surviving the current odds were not good, but determined that they would take out as many of the Death Eaters as they could before they were obliterated.  
  
Each saw the nine wands surrounding them leveled in their direction, and expected to be assaulted with a variety of unpleasant hexes, but in the instant before the first curse could be uttered, a loud roar filled the air above them, startling everyone in the clearing.  
  
Then utter mayhem broke loose.  
  
Remus and Sirius simultaneously each dropped to one knee, dodging the first curses flung their way, and Remus risked a quick glance skyward even as the words of the blinding curse came to his lips. Cries of agony came from several of the Death Eaters even as curses were being invoked by others, and it took Remus only an instant to recognized that the source of the roar and subsequently the screams in the clearing was the small blue-green dragon diving at the group with dragonflame a-blazing.  
  
"Yes!" Remus said, nearly to himself. The dragon was evening things up as she took out three Death Eaters on the north side of the circle. "Turquoise dragon at six o'clock!" He cried to Sirius, who was already casting a curse of his own at the nearest hooded wizard.  
  
"Cruento!" Sirius cried, pointing his wand. A gaping wound, large enough to incapacitate the victim, opened in the leg of the Death Eater. The dark wizard screamed and grabbed his bleeding limb.  
  
"Caliga!" Remus blinded the next attacker, and then turned suddenly at the commotion to the south. To his great surprise, he found Draco and the young Nemorosi witch with him attacking two more of the Death Eaters from where they had come up behind them on the path. One fell to the ground babbling incoherently, the other found himself being wrapped repeatedly in a spiderweb-like cord.  
  
One of the remaining Death Eaters, having just dodged the fire strike from the dragon, fell back and pointed his wand skyward at the animal who was circling round for another attack. "Avad.." the rest was cut off as the dark wizard's hands went to his throat, trying more and more desperately to pry off the unseen fingers wrapped around his neck.  
  
Snape dodged past him from where he was on the path to the north, knowing the wizard would pose no threat while dealing with the Stranglehold curse.  
  
One Death Eater remained in the midst of his incapacitated comrades, now facing four wizards, one witch, and one small dragon that was landing behind the group. He quickly did the smart thing and dropped his wand, surrendering without the least resistance.  
  
Sirius quickly stepped forward and grabbed the man by the front of his robes. "Smart move," he snarled at the man, and flung him to the ground before hexing him with a full body bind.  
  
Remus did likewise to the blinded wizard and the bleeding one, and then glanced at where Draco and Beska had taken care of their victims. "Thank you, Draco," Remus said.  
  
Draco shrugged, trying to make light of the situation.  
  
Remus stepped a little closer and spoke quietly to the young blonde wizard. "I know your decision involves more than just hexing that Death Eater," he said. "You've made a good choice, Draco."  
  
"We'll see." The boy shrugged again, uncomfortable with gratitude from the werewolf.  
  
Snape grabbed the nearly unconscious strangling man and flung him into the group on the ground. The man gasped dramatically for air as the phantom fingers around his throat were removed.  
  
Lorien walked quickly toward the three wizards taken out by the dragon to see what she could do for their injuries. Two of them were moaning on the ground and severely burned. It took her several minutes with each of them to do enough to at least ease the worst of their pain, and she knew they were going to need more intensive care than she could provide at this point before they were carted away to Azkaban.  
  
The third wizard lay on the ground face down a few feet away and Lorien started to go to him as Severus came to stand by her side. He cautioned her with a look, and raised his wand as she knelt by the figure in charred robes.  
  
She spoke to the man and prodded him gently, getting no response. Concern escalated into alarm that overrode the fact that the man was a Death Eater, and she rolled the prone figure over quickly, and winced at the sight that met her eyes. She needed to check no further to know that the man had not survived the degree of charring that was evident on his body. She stood quickly, hand over her mouth as a wave of nausea hit her. Experience as a medical witch had presented her with dead wizards before, with injuries as bad and worse, but this had been her doing.  
  
Lorien swallowed hard, and backed away one unsteady step at a time, not knowing that the eyes of the rest of the group were on her. She stood there trying to rationalize what she'd done. She hadn't stopped to think about what her animagus form was capable of, she only reacted out of fear for Sirius and Remus, lashing out in the best way the dragon knew how.  
  
And now, because of her, a man was dead.  
  
'A bad man,' she thought, trying to console herself in any way she could. A very, very bad wizard that wouldn't have given a second thought to blasting one of her beloved Gryffindors to smithereens if she hadn't acted. If she hadn't..if she hadn't...  
  
Lorien felt her knees going weak as the panicked feeling overwhelmed her. Strong fingers gripped her arms tightly from behind, keeping her on her feet as Severus's voice came from just behind her ear.  
  
"Let it go, Lorien," he advised her softly. "Don't make it complicated, just let it go."  
  
His voice and grip on her arms grounded her again, and she stared at the burned remains again as her vision re-focused. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked. "But I killed him.."  
  
"Yes," Severus said. "Yes, you did.."  
  
"But I didn't mean to..."she interrupted.  
  
Severus tightened his grip and pulled her back against himself. "I know, but would you rather that he were alive and Lupin or Black was dead because you didn't act?"  
  
"No," she said quietly.  
  
He turned her around to face him. "The time is rapidly approaching, Lorien, where you may have to make such a decision again. You may have to kill again." He indicated the rest of the group with a slight wave of his arm. "We all may."  
  
She understood what he meant, but the thought made her feel very cold.  
  
Severus placed a hand under her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. "Don't complicate things. The dark wizard is dead, your friends are alive. Good triumphed over evil in this case. Time to move on."  
  
"Is it really that simple, Severus?" She asked, feeling numb now more than anything.  
  
A hint of a sad smile and a shake of the head. "But it'll get you through it for now."  
  
Lorien didn't like his answer, but she took the advice he gave her, knowing that he was speaking from experience. She nodded and then walked with him to the rest of the group that had been taking in the interaction between the witch and her dark robed wizard.  
  
She managed to give Remus a small, brave smile when she saw his concerned look. The fact that he was standing there in front of her alive and safe made her feel a little better. She looked around the group. They were all safe, thank Merlin. It had been a close call but...Lorien frowned as she realized the group was incomplete.  
  
"Where's Perth?" She asked suddenly, looking around the gathered wizards. "And where is Harry?"  
  
Everyone realized at that moment that no one seemed to have an answer.  
  
*  
  
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Harry was standing just behind Perth Taber as realization of the grave danger they were both in dawned on the Nemorosi wizard. The gray-haired mage drew himself up to his full height and stood protectively once again in front of the teenager.  
  
"You have no business here," he warned in a stern voice.  
  
"Oh, but I DO," Voldemort returned casually, "don't I, Harry?"  
  
Harry wished desperately at that moment that there were about ten more Nemorosi wizards here to help face Voldemort. As defiant as Taber appeared, Harry knew from firsthand experience that they were still in major jeopardy.  
  
Voldemort spoke again before Harry had a chance to reply. "Well, where are your manners, Mr. Potter? Aren't you going to introduce me to your Nemorosi friend?" The dark wizard strode ever so casually closer, arms folded and the tip of his wand resting against his chin.  
  
Harry glared back defiantly.  
  
"Oh, come now." Voldemort looked at the older wizard.  
  
"Taber," the green-robed wizard hissed, not dropping his guard for even an instant.  
  
"Ah, yes," said Voldemort, tapping his wand against his chin thoughtfully. "Perth Taber, animagus, Order of Merlin second class, and youngest Nemorosi on the Council of Elders." Voldemort chuckled to himself, and then looked at Harry again. "As you can see, Harry, I have done a little homework concerning the Nemorosi."  
  
"Then you know what powerful wizards they are," Harry returned with implied warning.  
  
"Powerful? Oh, yes, yes, I know, Harry." Voldemort took on a vaguely nostalgic expression. "One of my best was a Nemorosi..pity about what happened to Fincastle...lots of talent...bit too much ambition, but, ah well...who am I to talk about too much ambition?" He seemed amused momentarily by his own comments.  
  
Voldemort's expression became more sober and the red eyes narrowed slightly. "Speaking of ambition, Harry, you've been demonstrating a bit by pursuing this fascination of yours with wandless magic."  
  
Harry's mouth started to fall open before he could muster control of his expression.  
  
Voldemort returned to being amused for a moment. "Oh, I know all about your lessons, Harry. Pretty blonde teacher, practice in the courtyard, research in the library over the holidays." The black robed wizard strode casually around Perth and Harry, and they turned together to keep Voldemort in front of them.  
  
"Yes, I know ALL about your progress.." Voldemort put on a mock air. "Even summoned the rains the night I had my little presents delivered to your party. Very impressive, Mr. Potter."  
  
Harry did his best not to let how rattled he was by the Slytherin's knowledge show. "Fine. So you know."  
  
Voldemort snorted and took a quick menacing step in Harry's direction. "Such a brave, but foolish little Gryffindor, aren't you?" he hissed, all pretense of camaraderie evaporating.  
  
Perth raised his arms in a defensive posture, spell poised on his lips, and Voldemort suddenly turned on the Nemorosi mage. "And you! One of the powerful Nemorosi that I should respectfully keep my distance from? Well, let us see."  
  
He pointed his wand at Taber and uttered a stunning spell.  
  
Taber blocked it.  
  
An acid stream.  
  
Again, Taber blocked it. Not a difficult task normally, but a spell cast by Voldemort was something different altogether.  
  
"Very good. Let's try something a little different, shall we?" Voldemort inquired of the slightly winded wizard.  
  
Voldemort drew his wand again and pointed it not at the man before him, but at the air between them. "Manus inimicus." A spectral hand holding a wand like that in Voldemort's own hand appeared in the air and hovered there. Voldemort repeated the phrase again, and another hand holding a wand appeared beside the first.  
  
"There, that should make things jut a bit more interesting, don't you think, Harry?" Voldemort directed his question at Harry, even though his gaze remained focused on Taber. "Let us see how your Nemorosi friend does now."  
  
Voldemort uttered the stunning spell again, and as it flashed off Taber's defenses, the two spectral hands waved their wands in rapid succession and duplicated the original spell, forcing Perth to act quickly and block two more spells, one right on top of another. The Nemorosi wizard was definitely out of breath after that sequence.  
  
"Well done!" Voldemort cried, taunting Taber in the process. "Let's try another." Without hesitation he pointed his wand and spoke again. "Inflamare!"  
  
A fireball raced at Taber, exploding against the water defense he had invoked immediately, and it was followed quickly by two more. The second Taber blocked, and the third.  
  
"Again. Inflamare!" Cried Voldemort.  
  
Taber blocked the first. He blocked the second but was knocked back a pace, and barely managed to block the third, the force of which knocked him to the ground. He managed to climb to his feet, but by this point his robes were smoking in places.  
  
Harry was furious and fearful of the way Voldemort was toying with Perth. "Stop it! Stop it, now!" he demanded angrily.  
  
"It's not your turn, Harry," Voldemort scolded, in a tone reminiscent of how one speaks to a petulant child. He flicked his wand in Harry's direction.  
  
Harry reflexively blocked the blast of energy that hit him, but the force of the spell knocked him off his feet, sending him skidding into the dirt where he remained, shaking his head and trying to regain his senses.  
  
Voldemort returned his attention back to Taber, who was winded but determined to protect Harry as long as he could.  
  
"Now, something a bit more imaginative..ah, yes...Ossus Infractus!"  
  
Three bone splintering spells raced at Perth who dodged the first, and blocked the second, but the third one hit home with a sickening 'CRACK', and the gray-haired wizard doubled over in pain and groaned aloud as he grabbed his left wrist.  
  
"Perth!" Harry cried out from where he had managed to get back on his feet. He ran towards the two wizards.  
  
"Harry, get back!" Taber snapped, wanting the boy out of the line of fire.  
  
"Yes, Harry, get back." Voldemort mimicked Taber's concern and then sent Harry skidding into the dirt again with a flick of his wand. Two more blows slammed Harry into the dirt further.  
  
Again he pointed his wand at Taber, and three more bone-splintering spells slammed into the Nemorosi, only one of which he had the strength remaining to block. Taber cried out, grabbing farther up his already damaged arm, and then collapsed as his ankle shattered and he landed in a heap.  
  
Voldemort stepped closer to stand over the fallen man and pointed his wand once more.  
  
"NO!" Harry cried, shaking his dazed head and trying desperately to get to his feet, to find his wand, to help in some way.  
  
"Ossus Infractus!" Voldemort cried again, fire raging in the fierce red eyes.  
  
Taber collapsed further into the dust, moaning terribly as three more bones in his limbs shattered. He teetered on the edge for a moment, and then slipped mercifully into a state of unconsciousness as he lay sprawled in the dust.  
  
Voldemort stood over the defeated Nemorosi mage and spoke to Harry again. "So much for your powerful wandless friend," he said dismissively. The spectral hands in front of him dissipated into nothingness.  
  
"Now," Voldemort continued, "to kill, or not to kill, that is the question now isn't it?" He tapped his wand against his chin thoughtfully as he regarded the broken figure on the ground. "Hmmm, but we do need a witness, now don't we, Harry?"  
  
Voldemort turned suddenly toward where Harry had struggled valiantly to gain his feet again. "It's your turn," he hissed menacingly.  
  
Harry glared back at the skull-like face, furious about what the Dark Lord had done to Taber, and fearful of what else the dark wizard might do. He raised his wand, determined to face Voldemort and not be defeated in the dust. His heart raced, and his pulse pounded in his ears, the rushing blood sounding like the marching of many feet in the distance.  
  
Voldemort raised his own, eyes narrowed to red slits for a moment, and then he spoke while swirling his wand in a small circle, and then pointed abruptly it at Harry.  
  
An icy blue stream of light shot from the wand, and quickly encircled Harry at a distance of a few feet, spinning more and more rapidly. Harry's eyes went even wider at the sight of the surrounding light as the adrenaline level in his blood jumped higher. He dared not take his eyes off Voldemort, but he didn't know what to expect from the blue light.  
  
His concern was promptly addressed as the ring of light flashed whiter and an object raced at him at the level of his chest at great speed.  
  
Harry gasped and cried out words of protection, drawing his wand up instantly to deflect the object. Tiny shards of ice flew everywhere as the dagger-like icicle was destroyed.  
  
Voldemort flicked his wand wordlessly, and another flash of light from the blue ring brought another frozen missile, this time flying at Harry's head from his left.  
  
Harry spun around and deflected the second attack. Icy splinters showered the ground inside the circle.  
  
Two more flicks of Voldemort's wand brought two more icicles. Harry spun about, trying frantically to block them, nearly missing the second.  
  
"Very good," Voldemort said slowly, minor admiration present in his voice. "But surely the great Harry Potter can do better?" Three rapid flicks of his wand, a pause, and two more.  
  
Harry whirled, deflecting and smashing each successive icicle as he began panting from the exertion. He leaped back around to face Voldemort as the fourth raced at his face, only just managing to parry it as he flung his head back out of reflex and his arm up in front of him. He was off balance and stumbled a step, and when he yanked his arm down to deflect the fifth missile, his timing was off by a fraction of a second.  
  
A sharp cry of pain escaped Harry's lips as the wand fell from his right hand, and he grabbed his wrist, panting, and staring, horrified at the icicle that was protruding through his palm. The biting cold shot up his entire arm, and the icicle wafted away in a small cloud of steam. The wound was bloodless, but painful, and Harry yanked his arm inward, cradling it against himself, trying to keep his attention on the accelerating circle, Voldemort, and wondering if he had time to snatch his wand from where it had fallen at his feet.  
  
Voldemort paused, and spoke in a mocking voice. "But, Harry," he began, "you don't really need your wand, now do you?" He laughed the high-pitched laugh that had haunted Harry's nightmares since last year.  
  
Abruptly Voldemort stopped laughing, and his eyes narrowed again as he gauged Harry's thoughts on springing for the wand on the ground.  
  
"Accio!" Voldemort fairly spat the word, and a second before he could act, Harry's wand was suddenly in one long-fingered skeletal hand. 


	48. Ice and Fire

Greetings Snowwolf! Thanks for chiming in.  
  
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Ice and Fire ~*~  
  
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Kaneene Moody was sitting in the great hall at Hogwarts with her brother and four cousins. She was trying desperately to immerse herself in a book that she'd been reading over the week long holiday, but she kept laughing as the older Moodys took turns picking on Keath, and accusing him of robbing the cradle.  
  
"Oh, get off it!" Keath said with exasperation at his cousins' merciless teasing. "Hermione is interested in what it's like to be an Auror, and I've been merely spending time with her.."  
  
"Wowing her with tales of your daring adventures," finished Brandon for him.  
  
Keath rolled his eyes. "You're making more out of...."  
  
Dixon cut him off, wearing a mischievous grin. "So, exactly how impressed is your young Miss Gryffindor?"  
  
Keath frowned at him. "Her name is Hermione," he insisted.  
  
"Her name is Hermione," Dunstan mimicked, speaking in sappy falsetto. He continued on as his other cousins laughed. "Oh, Keath, you're just so brave." He batted his eyelashes and snuggled up to his now blushing younger cousin.  
  
Kaneene resisted joining in, but she didn't go to Keath's rescue either. She knew the Granger girl had a mind of her own and was a brilliant witch for her age, but still, she was a bit young... Kaneene had already lectured her younger brother about minding his manners, among other things around the younger Gryff.  
  
She was suppressing a chuckle when her attention was caught by the entrance of two people sweeping quickly toward them across the hall. Kaneene frowned and stood immediately when she saw that the headmaster and Minerva McGonagall where looking very grave as they approached her. The men around her sobered quickly when they saw what had captured her attention.  
  
"Headmaster, what is it?" she asked, hand instinctively going to the wand in her belt.  
  
Dumbledore looked serious indeed.  
  
"I'm afraid that I need your help," he said, gaze sweeping the group and coming back to Kaneene. "I have just received an owl from the Red Witch requesting immediate assistance. It seems as though Death Eaters have invaded Harris Island, where the Nemorosi are gathered."  
  
Dumbledore took a deep breath and went on. "She's afraid that Voldemort may very well be on the island as well," he continued looking into Kaneene's eyes. "All of them, especially Harry, may be in great danger. I've already alerted the Ministry."  
  
Kaneene nodded. "Right, we'll leave at once," she said, turning to her cousins. "Brandon, send an owl to Uncle Alastor, and then you and Dixon follow us." She looked back at Dumbledore. "You'll tell us the way?"  
  
"I'll do better than that," Dumbledore replied. "I'll show you." It became quite clear that the old wizard and his deputy headmistress were planning to go themselves.  
  
Kaneene nodded, and as the group cast the necessary tracing charms to follow Dumbledore to the Herbrides, her thoughts went to what Dumbledore had said a moment ago. ALL of them were potentially in danger.  
  
'Sirius,' she thought, and she did her best to banish her feeling of dread as she disapparated along with the others.  
  
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Harry stared in horror at the long skeletal fingers that held his wand, as he tried to force the pain in his hand to the back of his mind for the moment. A low hum was beginning to be generated from the blue-white ring as it accelerated around him.  
  
Voldemort stood there, looking triumphant, and he sneered at Harry's alarmed expression. "Now, Harry, you've done all that work, trying to master wandless magic," he began, laughing once in that high cruel voice. "Surely, you'd like to demonstrate what you've achieved for me?"  
  
Harry was terrified. True he'd been studying Nemorosi magic religiously with Lorien, but working with her after classes, and THIS were two entirely different things.  
  
Voldemort changed his tone and adopted an conspiratorial whisper. "I suspect that you'll not be needing this anymore." Voldemort held the wand poised between his fingers. "I'll just dispose of it for you, shall I?"  
  
Harry panicked and lurched forward a step with an outstretched hand, but was held back from taking another as he glanced down with deep concern about coming in contact with the blue ring. He hadn't even looked back up yet when he heard the 'SNAP!'  
  
Harry gasped and staggered at the meaning of the noise, reeling as the implications slammed home. He raised his eyes slowly in time to see the two pieces of holly slip between Voldemort's fingers and watched them fall, seemingly in slow motion to the ground. A ragged piece of phoenix feather floated on the air, rocking back and forth as it made it's slow way to the ground to land lightly next to the broken wood.  
  
Harry stared at the small tattered red feather open-mouthed, unable to believe what he was actually seeing.  
  
Voldemort spoke up again, voice quite apologetic, but expression not nearly so. "Sorry, Harry, but it'll just waste my time, and your very limited time, if we stand there pointing our wands at each other. Yours seems to have, sorry..HAD that annoying habit of canceling the effects of mine when we have these little...reunions."  
  
Harry heard every word as if someone was speaking to him from across a great distance instead of a few feet as he continued to stare in anguish at the tiny red spot of feather on the ground.  
  
He was doomed.  
  
He was alone - Taber remained unconscious on the ground, and his wand was in pieces. If the Nemorosi elder had been defeated so brutally, he would last at best, what, two minutes?  
  
The humming noise from the ice-blue ring around him was becoming more intense and higher pitched as it spun even faster. Harry's eyes were drawn involuntarily to the source of the noise. He knew that at any moment a volley of deadly ice shards would be fired at him from all directions, and he had the vaguest mental image of himself falling over, body pierced by a dozen or more icicles. How would he ever deal with something like that? Harry mourned his apparent fate, and then that of his wand again as he glanced in a dazed fashion back at the red feather.  
  
Harry shook his head a little as his momentary stupor was interrupted by the tiny flash of color he saw on the ground. He frowned slightly as he concentrated on the red spot that was flickering in front of him.  
  
The feather had ignited into a tiny flame that flickered unnoticed by Voldemort at his feet.  
  
Had the phoenix feather started to burn on it's own? Harry wondered if the feather would retain the properties of the entire bird when the thought finally penetrated his brain.  
  
Fire.  
  
The defense for ice, a form of water, was fire.  
  
Harry glanced at the Nemorosi mage on the ground nearby out of the corner of his eye, and was startled again. The man was looking at him from where he lay crumpled, and he saw the barely perceptible nod, a slow blink more than anything, from the older wizard.  
  
Fire.  
  
Had the phoenix feather igniting been the doing of the man on the ground?  
  
"Now," Voldemort continued, gathering himself up, "shall we go for another round?" He laughed again shrilly, amused by his apparent impending victory.  
  
Harry's own eyes narrowed in determination as he realized he wasn't as alone as he thought, and that he had a chance of defending himself after all. 'Fine, so let it be trial by fire,' Harry thought. He gritted his teeth and forced his breathing to slow as he looked back up at the black robed wizard.  
  
Voldemort spoke up again as if making a grand announcement. "Harry Potter vs. Lord Voldemort..what is this, round four?" He asked, still gloating.  
  
"Five." Harry said in a calmer, determined voice.  
  
"Ah, yes..five," Voldemort hissed dangerously.  
  
Harry suddenly became a little calmer. 'Five, and I've survived four of them so far!' That thought went a long way towards improving the odds he gave himself.  
  
Voldemort went on to say something more about joining his parents at last that Harry wasn't listening to as he tried desperately to clear his mind. He was sure that he was going to get only one chance at this, and he struggled to create an image of a shield of fire in his mind. He glanced once more at the tiny fire on the ground where the feather was alight, and the image of Fawkes, who had been there in his time of need in the past, appeared in his mind's eye.  
  
Harry might have smiled if the situation weren't so desperate. Fawkes had once again just given him what he needed to defend himself, and Harry concentrated on the image of the bird erupting into flames in Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Well then, Harry Potter," Voldemort was saying, "since you have nothing to say for yourself.."  
  
Harry pictured himself engulfed in fire as the phoenix had been; emerging whole and renewed from the depths of the flames. He felt his already rapid pulse quicken, felt the radiating energy stir, and drew desperately from the well of magic that resided deep within him. He needed it all, and needed it now.  
  
"..let's just be done with it, shall we?" Voldemort finished saying, and raised his wand.  
  
Harry raised his arms at his sides, palms outward, and took a deep breath. Faint phoenix song echoed in the far corners of his mind, and then he heard it - the faint crackling of fire. THAT was what he needed, and he drew it to him as hard as he could.  
  
Voldemort's eyes narrowed to fierce red slits as he saw that Harry was actually going to attempt a wandless defense, and he sneered and flung his wand hand in front of him, pointing it sharply at Harry and invoking the circle of ice.  
  
Everything happened at once.  
  
The whining hum of the blue light screeched to a crescendo as a score of white flashes exploded from the circle simultaneously.  
  
Harry never heard the noise as the crackling of the flames around him instantly became the deafening roar of an inferno. Sizzling and popping erupted all around him as the ice shards evaporated instantaneously upon contact with the fire.  
  
Voldemort cried the command word again, screeching at the blue circle, and flashes began leaping from the ring in a rapid, staccato pattern, peppering Harry from all directions with deadly icicles.  
  
Harry closed his eyes, and saw only the flames; heard the roar, and listened to nothing else. Sweat had broken out on his forehead as the temperature around him soared, and his hands trembled as he tried to counter the renewed attack.  
  
A large cloud of steam billowed up into the night sky, roiling and rolling as the continuous onslaught of ice met the wall of fire.  
  
Voldemort, furious at being thwarted, channeled his anger at the boy, and the white-blue ring began to constrict, threatening to close down around Harry.  
  
Spitting and hissing sounds sprang up in intensity as the circle hit the barrier of magic flame.  
  
Harry was trembling all over now with the effort to keep the ring away. His breathing was ragged, and he felt the ground begin to sway as he became light-headed from massive exertion. He felt the temperature drop alarmingly in the air around him as the circle closed, and he put everything he had left into holding the fire as he staggered and dropped to one knee. Sounds of hissing, and screeching, and roaring became one loud rushing sound, and the last thing that Harry knew, everything went very quiet and black as he fell to the ground.  
  
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Whether it was late morning, or early in the afternoon, Sirius Black didn't know. He'd lost track of time as the hours had worn away as he paced, and then sat, and then paced some more next to the bedside of his unmoving godson.  
  
Harry had been unconscious, and unresponsive since last evening when they'd seen him collapse in the dirt in front of Voldemort. Sirius knew that Harry must have put everything he had into defending himself from the Dark Lord, and shuddered to think that it might not have been enough if he hadn't arrived the moment the flames died and Harry sank to the ground.  
  
Although, truth be told, the blue ring closing around the boy had flashed brightly and winked out at the same instant.  
  
Sirius had witnessed Voldemort standing there, nearly beside himself with rage at being thwarted by the boy's defenses, but he never had a chance to renew an attack thanks to the arrival of himself, Remus, Lorien, Draco, Beska, and Snape, who had all seen the enormous cloud of steam rising not far off in the distance and rushed to Harry's aid.  
  
The winded dark wizard might have taken them on, but the arrival of the Red Witch, accompanied by Dumbledore himself, as well as six Aurors had prompted Voldemort to disapparate rather than face those odds in his tired state.  
  
Sirius got up and went to the window of the room in Perth Taber's house to stare out for the sixth or seventh time, gazing at the garden outside that looked so peaceful and inviting as he blamed himself again for letting Harry get into trouble.  
  
"Huh! Some godfather I am," he scolded himself angrily.  
  
"You're a great godfather." A weak voice from the bed behind him.  
  
Sirius spun around, and crossed quickly to drop into the chair at Harry's bedside, and placed his hand on the teenager's arm.  
  
"Thank Merlin! I didn't know if you were ever going to open your eyes," Sirius said, still looking at Harry in a very worried way.  
  
"That would make two of us," Harry replied, managing a tiny smile. The smile was replaced with a look of concern as he glanced around the room and realized where he was.  
  
"Is Perth....?" He asked tentatively, looking worried.  
  
"He's going to be fine," Sirius answered. "Lorien and Beska have been looking after him all night."  
  
Harry frowned for a moment in concentration. He remembered nothing after the struggle with fire and ice spells. "Sirius? What happened? I mean, all I remember is the fire, and the blue ring...."  
  
"I should be asking you that same question," Sirius replied, watching the teenager carefully.  
  
Harry looked at Sirius for a long moment, and then heaved a great sigh and related the events leading up to Taber's confrontation with Voldemort, and then his.  
  
"That is quite a story, Harry."  
  
The voice was not Sirius's and it drew Harry's attention to the doorway where he found himself looking at Dumbledore.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed weakly, trying to sit up a little. "When...?" Harry was too tired to sit all the way up and sank back against the pillow as Dumbledore crossed the room.  
  
"Last night, Harry," Dumbledore answered softly. "I came as soon as I got word from the Red Witch that there was a possibility that Voldemort was on Harris Island."  
  
Dumbledore moved across the room to stand on the opposite side of Harry's bed from where Sirius was, and peered at Harry closely. "How do you feel, Harry?"  
  
"Um, ok." Harry answered. "Pretty tired, actually."  
  
"Not surprising." Dumbledore smiled behind his half moon glasses. "My guess is that you're beginning to become a bit of an annoyance to Voldemort by this point, Harry."  
  
Harry smiled at Dumbledore's humor. "You think?"  
  
Dumbledore sobered a little and spoke again. "It looks as though all those lessons with Mistress Lorien paid off last night, Harry, although I didn't realize that you'd come quite so far with your abilities," the headmaster said.  
  
"Neither did I," Sirius admitted. "I'll be sure to thank Lorien again for spending so much time with you. She worked you pretty hard in your defenses."  
  
Harry's brow knitted a little. "Yes, but the odd thing is, the only fire spells she taught me were offensive spells," he admitted.  
  
"What prompted you to come up with a fire defense, then Harry?" Sirius asked.  
  
"It was the feather," Harry answered. "It burst into flames right after Voldemort destroyed my wand, and it gave me the idea."  
  
Dumbledore actually looked a little surprised. "You say that Voldemort actually destroyed your wand, Harry?"  
  
Harry nodded. "He snapped it in half. I saw the pieces on the ground along with the feather inside from Fawkes."  
  
"Interesting," Dumbledore said, almost to himself.  
  
"What is it?" Sirius asked, seeing the look in the headmaster's eyes.  
  
"Well, it's just that I wanted to give this back to Harry when he woke up." He held out his hand, where Harry's wand rested on his palm.  
  
Harry's eyes went wide. "You fixed it?" He asked incredulously, taking the wand and looking it over.  
  
"No, Harry," Dumbledore chuckled. "It would have been quite something even for Ollivander himself to repair a wand broken by Voldemort."  
  
"But, I SAW it," Harry insisted. "It was in half on the ground. The feather went up in flames..." Harry paused in mid-sentence as the answer hit him, and he looked up at the headmaster, who was watching him carefully.  
  
"That's it, isn't it?" Harry asked. "The phoenix feather."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "I believe so, Harry. From what I gather about last night's events, evidently your wand re-emerged from the fire started by the phoenix feather... intact."  
  
"If I understand what you two are saying," Sirius said, "it's unlikely that Harry's wand can be destroyed."  
  
"At least by conventional methods," Dumbledore agreed.  
  
Harry spoke up again quietly. "Then that means that it's unlikely that Voldemort's wand can be destroyed."  
  
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so, Harry, but you've had enough to worry about this last day. Sleep, now."  
  
Harry was about to protest that he was fine, when he realized just how exhausted he was after his ordeal, and with the headmaster and his godfather watching over him, he drifted off again into a deep sleep.  
  
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It was the next morning when Harry woke again at last. He remember waking once briefly during the night to get up to go to the bathroom, and he had checked his wand on the night stand again to make sure that he hadn't dreamed his conversation with Dumbledore.  
  
He was looking at his wand again when he heard Lorien come into the room.  
  
"Oh good, you're awake," she said, coming to stand by his bedside and scrutinizing him. "How do you feel today?"  
  
"Better," Harry replied. "Hungry, actually."  
  
"Well, then you'll probably want to get down and have some breakfast before your godfather finishes it all off," she said with a smile. "Before you go," she said as Harry started to push the covers off himself, "there's someone that would like a word with you."  
  
Harry looked at the door to see Perth Taber standing there, smiling at him.  
  
"Perth!" Harry cried, thrilled to see the Nemorosi mage up and about again.  
  
Taber crossed to the bedside, walking with a bit of a limp that Harry noticed. "Alright there, Harry?"  
  
"Yes, I'm doing fine, Sir," Harry answered.  
  
"Good." Taber paused for a moment, and looked at Lorien and then back at Harry. "What you did the other night was amazing, Harry. I've rarely met anyone so young with so much raw talent, not to mention I've rarely met anyone that I thought could stand against Voldemort."  
  
Harry knew that what Taber was saying was true, but he still felt his face getting warm as he reddened.  
  
"Lorien and I have been talking," Taber continued, "and we both agree that you should take your training further. I'd like to offer for you to come and stay for the summer to study wandless magic. I'd oversee your lessons, as would Fagan LaRue, herself."  
  
"Seriously?" Harry asked.  
  
Taber nodded, as did Lorien behind him.  
  
"Wicked!" Harry cried, leaping out of the bed.  
  
"Now, Harry, before you go getting all excited," Lorien cautioned him, "I've already spoken with Sirius, and he and the headmaster both agree that you should...."  
  
"I know, I know," Harry said, rolling his eyes a little. "I have to go back to the Dursleys for at least part of the summer."  
  
"I'm afraid so," Lorien said with an apologetic smile, "but not the whole summer."  
  
"Thank Merlin!" Harry exclaimed with exasperation, but he was already beginning to smile. After all the summers he had spent at the Dursleys' with nothing more to look forward to but September 1st, putting up with Dudley for a month in order to get to study wandless magic for the rest of the summer would be a piece of cake, he was sure.  
  
Speaking of cake, Harry realized he was starving, and after thanking the Nemorosi Elder, bounded happily down the stairs to join his godfather at breakfast.  
  
Lorien looked at Perth after Harry left the room. "Well, it should be an interesting summer around here, don't you think?"  
  
Taber smiled and walked with her to the door. "That it will, my dear, and by the time Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, I'm willing to bet that it's going to be an even more interesting fall."  
  
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A/N: One more chapter to tidy things up a bit.... 


	49. Epilogue

Epilogue ~*~  
  
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The majority of the student body back after the week long holiday found out about what had transpired on Harris Island when the news hit the Daily Prophet, but not until well after Harry had filled Ron and Hermione in on what he'd been through.  
  
He was sitting in an armchair by the fire in the Gryffindor common room, absently turning the pages of text that Perth Taber had lent to him, when his two friends came through the portrait hole together.  
  
"Harry!" They exclaimed together, coming quickly to where he sat. Both their expressions changed almost at once from the look of happiness at seeing him after a week away, to one of concern when he looked up at them. They knew him well enough to know that SOMETHING had happened.  
  
Hermione dropped into the closest chair while Ron dragged another one closer.  
  
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly, dropping her voice a little so that none of the other arriving Gryffindors would overhear.  
  
Harry gave them a small smile and then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked at each of them and then spoke very quietly.  
  
"Voldemort," was all he said.  
  
Ron and Hermione each looked stunned and turned to look at each other and then at Harry again.  
  
"V...V..Vold..?" Ron stuttered.  
  
"What happened?" Hermione asked.  
  
Harry sat forward in his chair, as did the other two, and he told them in hushed tones about what had happened the night of the banquet. He glanced about them periodically to make sure that no one was overhearing, but the other students in the common room were all too busy telling each other about their own holiday.  
  
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed when he'd finished his story. "Thank goodness you're alright!" She looked close to tears at the thought that something terrible had almost happened to one of her best friends.  
  
Ron looked quite shaken as well.  
  
"It's okay," Harry said calmly. "It's all over and everything is fine."  
  
The two of them didn't look quite convinced.  
  
Harry decided that he needed to change the subject, at least for now. "Hey! I didn't tell you about what happened earlier in the week!" He told them about the ordeal that Snape had been through on account of his relationship with Lorien.  
  
It was debatable whether Ron had looked more stunned about the news concerning Voldemort or the new concerning Snape.  
  
"Snape?" he whispered. "In a duel? Over a witch?" He looked dumfounded. "Are you serious?"  
  
Harry nodded as Hermione looked thoughtful.  
  
She opened her mouth to speak but Ron cut her off.  
  
"Don't," he said.  
  
She smiled. "What?"  
  
Ron frowned. "You were about to go on about how there's more to Snape than meets the eye, and that you've told us that before."  
  
Hermione continued to smile. "You said it, not me."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. So, maybe the man does have the odd minute or two when he's not a complete git."  
  
Hermione brightened and spoke up again. "So, are you going to do it, Harry? I mean, spend the summer on Harris Island?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yeah. I have to go and stay with the Dursleys for a while, but then the rest of the summer I'll get to study with Perth Taber."  
  
He saw the look on Ron and Hermione's faces.  
  
"Don't worry - Sirius and several of the Moodys will be keeping an eye on me," he said sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed at having a group of bodyguards.  
  
"Oh, really? Which ones?" Hermione asked, trying to sound casual.  
  
Harry smiled as he saw Ron roll his eyes and shake his head where he sat in the chair next to her. For the moment, at least, things were relatively back to normal.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Remus walked purposefully down the hall to Marlina's rooms. He knew that she'd arrived back at Hogwarts only a few moments before, and he was anxious to see her. And Noah, of course.  
  
He knocked on her door, and suddenly found himself impatient and wanting to open it before she could answer. So much had happened in the last few days, and he wanted to tell her everything.  
  
Not just about the duels and the Death Eaters, but that in those few moments when it looked like his survival, along with Sirius's might be in question, that he'd thought of nothing but her, and Noah, and how he might never see them again. Even now, when he stood just outside, waiting for her to open the door, the thought made his insides go cold.  
  
Even though everything had ended ok for the time being, he knew that there would soon be rougher times ahead, and he wanted her to know just how he felt. Time was short, and while the future of the wizarding world was in doubt, he wanted to be sure that how he felt about her was not.  
  
Marlina opened the door, along with Noah, and both of them broke into broad smiles at seeing him standing there.  
  
"Remus!" Noah exclaimed, jumping forward with his arms wide.  
  
Remus dropped to one knee to embrace the boy tightly for a long moment with his eyes closed. "It's so good to see you," he said softly.  
  
Marlina knew that something was up by the way she saw Remus cling to the boy, and she spoke to Noah when Remus finally stood up. "How about going and unpacking your bag for me?"  
  
"'kay, Mom." Noah smiled at Remus again and then ran to his room.  
  
Remus stepped inside and closed the door, and took Marlina by the arms.  
  
"What?" she asked. "What is it?"  
  
"I'll tell you later," he said quietly, pulling her in to rest against him. "Later, okay?"  
  
He could feel her nod, but tighten her embrace.  
  
He'd have so much to tell her later, but for now, for just this moment, all was very, very right with his world.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
From the moment Kaneene had arrived at Harris Island, she had been all business.  
  
Decisive and efficient, she'd been 100% Auror during the brief confrontation with Voldemort, and the methodical search of the island after. She'd snapped orders at her brother and cousins, in charge of the securing of the site until the arrival of more ministry officials and Aurors.  
  
There'd been a brief moment where she'd seen Sirius in passing, not long after Voldemort had made his escape, when Lorien had pronounced Harry unconscious and exhausted, but apparently otherwise unharmed, and she'd spoken to him.  
  
"You alright?" She'd asked, briskly.  
  
"Yeah," he'd replied, still not yet convinced that he was.  
  
She'd looked at him for a long moment, and then with a quick nod of acknowledgment, swept off with her bother to secure the perimeter of the island.  
  
Sirius hadn't seen her for three days, nor had word from her. He knew that she must have a million sheets of parchment to fill out for her report that would keep her busy for a while, but he grew anxious to see the lady Auror just the same.  
  
He finally saw her, walking alongside Dumbledore in the hallway that morning, and he made it a point to catch up with the pair. As head of security he needed to know what was going on, and it was also a perfect excuse to get close to the dark-haired woman.  
  
"Good morning," he said from behind them, and both the headmaster and Kaneene turned to look at him, breaking off in mid-conversation.  
  
"Well, good morning, Sirius," Dumbledore said, "we were just going to send for you."  
  
"Sirius." Kaneene acknowledged him quietly.  
  
"You were?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. Kaneene needs to fill you in on what is taking place at the Ministry, and I need for the two of you to put your heads together and give me some recommendations for increasing security over the summer so that we are better prepared for the start of the next school year."  
  
Sirius listened but couldn't help but notice the slightest lightening to Dumbledore's tone of voice. And was that a tiny twinkle behind his glasses?  
  
"And I," Dumbledore continued, " have some matters that need to be addressed in my office. You'll get to work at once?" he asked, looking at each of them in turn.  
  
They both nodded, and the headmaster walked away, leaving them standing together in the hall.  
  
Kaneene turned and started walking, and Sirius fell in beside her as she gave him a synopsis of the clean up of the island. The nine living Death Eaters that had been apprehended were all in custody, but no others had been caught on the island.  
  
"Damn shame," Sirius grumbled. "Would have been nice to hear that Malfoy had his ass thrown back in Azkaban," he growled. "What about Lestrange?"  
  
"She got away, too," Kaneene replied. "A complete perimeter search failed to reveal the whereabouts of any other Death Eaters."  
  
"And her husband?" Sirius asked as they came to Kaneene's door.  
  
"Never found the body," was all she said, unlocking her door.  
  
Sirius followed her inside. "You know, K, I think that we can put the map to better use...." He broke off when he realized she had turned and was looking at him in a strange way.  
  
"What?" He asked, frowning a little.  
  
Her voice was soft; nearly hoarse and a little ragged when she spoke, and her eyes were a bit overbright. "You could have been killed."  
  
Sirius suddenly realized that he was seeing great emotion welling up in the dark haired woman in front of him, and he found himself at a loss as to how to deal with it. He grinned at her in a slightly cocky manner and started to joke to cover up his unease. "Nah, Moony and I had everything under...." He broke off again when she stepped forward quickly and grabbed a handful of the front of his robes.  
  
She pulled him toward her a step, and stared up into his eyes as she spoke in a choked whisper. "I could have lost you."  
  
Sirius swallowed hard. "But you didn't," he said quietly. "It was just...."  
  
This time he was cut off by her mouth covering his in a deep kiss that lasted for quite a long moment.  
  
Sirius cleared his throat when she pulled away. "Yes, well, er..I guess.."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Huh?" he blinked at her.  
  
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed up against him tightly. "Shut up and kiss me," she commanded.  
  
Sirius complied with the request, and as she clung even more tightly to him, he realized that Moody the Auror was gone, leaving only a stunning green-eyed woman in his arms. He decided that for the moment, things just couldn't get any better.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Mercifully, the last weeks at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry went by in fairly uneventful fashion as far as Snape was concerned. His week long holiday had been eventful enough, thank you very much, and it surprised the Potions Master that he had actually almost looked forward to returning to classes. Well, who could blame him after the holiday he had had?  
  
Snape sat at his desk, working diligently on the stack of Potions finals that he was grading, trying to get through to the end. He'd made quite a dent in the pile, and all that was left facing him was this last seventh year Ravenclaw's test, and that monstrosity of an essay written by the damn Granger girl.  
  
Snape of course, would never admit to anyone, even himself, that he'd saved her exam for last because he knew that he might actually enjoy reading it. The girl seemed to have developed a, (dare he say?) predisposition, for his beloved subtle science, and it was refreshing to read some original thought from a student in place of the regurgitated monotony from the majority of the student body.  
  
Snape paused for a moment, quill poised over the Ravenclaw exam. When had that happened, exactly? Sometime over the past year it had become evident that Miss Granger was beginning to shine in his class, more so than even her other studies. Well, it wouldn't be the only surprising thing that had happened this year, now would it? He returned to marking the test for a moment, and then paused again, quill tapping against his chin, as he thought back over the past year.  
  
Who would have thought, in the fall, that any of the year's events would have possibly taken place?  
  
Snape sat there lost in his reverie until he heard the door to his office close.  
  
"Severus."  
  
Lorien's voice from behind him. Snape started back in on the exam in front of him, purposefully ignoring her and trying to get through this last one. If he could just finish these last two his grading would be done. Yes, he'd be done...the students would get their grades before they left on the Hogwarts Express, and he'd be free of academic responsibilities for a few blissful weeks.  
  
He continued to scratch red comments along the margin of the parchment as Lorien spoke again.  
  
"Almost finished?"  
  
"Hm." Barely an answer.  
  
"It looks like you're almost to the last one," Lorien observed, coming to perch on the edge of his desk.  
  
"Hm." Snape continued to ignore her and write as she picked up Granger's exam.  
  
"My, but this is a long one," she observed. "Hermione wrote this?"  
  
"Hm." Snape grunted the wordless answer at her again. Blasted woman! Couldn't she see that he was nearly through? Just one more and he'd finally be finished! He completed grading the Ravenclaw's test and set it in the pile next to him even as he held out his hand for Lorien to place the remaining parchment in.  
  
When she didn't set it in his palm, he turned an icy gaze in her direction. "Test, Lorien," he demanded quietly, holding out his hand again.  
  
"Oh, but it's such a LONG essay, Severus," Lorien lamented, even as she handed him the parchment.  
  
"Which is precisely why I need to start it NOW," Snape replied, dipping his quill in red ink to ready himself. He unfurled the first page and began to read.  
  
"Well, all right," Lorien was saying. "I just thought that after all that grading that you might need a break before you started reading such a long exam."  
  
Severus sneered slightly at her without looking at her. "And just why would I need a break when I only have one....." he broke off and sat there motionless for a minute.  
  
"You're saying I should take a break?" he asked at last.  
  
"MmmHmm." Lorien answered him.  
  
"Now?" He asked.  
  
"Now," she replied softly.  
  
"Lorien?" He asked tentatively.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Would you happen to be wearing black under that robe?" he asked her, quill still poised over the essay.  
  
"Perhaps," she answered, but he could hear the amusement in her voice.  
  
Snape set his quill down and smiled to himself. Yes, a lot had happened this year, that was for certain, and a lot more was yet to come. He knew one more thing was certain as he rose and moved to put his arms around the blonde witch, and cast a wandless locking charm on the door over his shoulder....  
  
...Miss Hermione Granger was just going to have to wait a little longer for her Potions grade.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
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A/N: There! Just a bit less awkward and messy than the last ending. Maybe that makes up for all those cliffhanger chapters?  
  
Now, many of you that have read my bio page recently already know that this is going to be a trilogy. By the time the third installment takes place, we'll know what REALLY happens in year five, so this will become a bit of an AU fic. I plan to charge ahead, and change nothing based on what we learn in book five.  
  
I suspect that by the weekend may of you will be busy reading another Harry Potter story for a while, so the timing is perfect to give me a short hiatus to work on the third part of the saga.  
  
As for me, I'll be in line at Borders at midnight on Friday, trying to get my reserved copy of OoP early at the release party....dressed in black, green, and silver, of course - even the cobra earrings may emerge again.  
  
I have to keep a low profile though. The Bureau of Magical Affairs in Augusta is getting a little touchy about having to clean up after some of the incidents I've been a part of. (They threatened a hefty 'obliviate' after the You-Know-Who incident, but dear Remus, ever the peacemaker and quick thinker, assure the officials that it wasn't my fault, and advised them that I am a well-informed..er...liason of sorts between the wizarding and muggle realms, and that everyone was better off with my memory intact.)  
  
After that I'll be spending a little time with Scott the Gryffindor, tending my garden (with its large re-planting of wolfsbane), and then finally delving into my writing to explore more of Snape's past, the tensions between him and Sirius, the romances, the wolfsbane potion, and of course, the wandless magic.  
  
May you all get your copies of Book V quickly.  
  
Until we all arrive back at the realm of wolfsbane potion and wandless magic....  
  
Doth artou, doth lectou, e ben samhradh! (Good hunting, good reading, and a good summer!)  
  
Nytd 


End file.
